“Next year will be different. I will show you the ‘popping prospect’ that fans want.”
Lee Kang-joon (22), whom we met at the finishing camp last October, expressed his cautious confidence. However, he unexpectedly found himself in a position to change his uniform. There was no hesitation in choosing Kiwoom Heroes.
Kiwoom designated Lee Kang-joon as a compensation player for Han Hyun-hee, who transferred to FA on the 20th. Before the Lunar New Year holiday even started in earnest, a quick selection was made as soon as the roster was handed over.
Han Hyun-hee’s FA rating is A. There are only 20 players that can be protected. Lotte excluded Lee Kang-jun, who is about to enlist as a managing director in May, from the 20 protected players, and Kiwoom did not hesitate. Ko Hyeong-wook, general manager of Kiwoom, explained, “I am satisfied that I can catch up to the future with the overall composition of the team.”
He is a player who has not shown anything in the pro yet. The first team’s career performance is only 9.51 with an average ERA of 1 win and 1 save in a total of 32 games and 23⅔ innings. However, he gets hot attention wherever he goes. It is already the 3rd team after 3 years of joining him. As such, his talents and qualities are being recognized.
During the KT Wiz, Lee Kang-joon, a rookie in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, was called by coach Lee Kang-cheol and taught directly. When he moved to Lotte, it was a two-to-one trade between catcher Kim Joon-tae and midfielder Oh Yoon-seok, who had considerable first-team experience. Even so, it was evaluated that KT would never have done it if it hadn’t been for the ‘win-now’ move aimed at winning.
At the time of Lotte’s recruitment, manager Larry Sutton expected Lee Kang-joon to play the role of Pil Seung-jo. The knock on Choi Jun-yong’s selection change was because he had confidence in Lee Kang-jun and Choi Geon. But in the end, it failed. 온라인카지노
This time, Kiwoom, who is recognized for his ability to nurture new talent, chose a player about to enlist. Koh asserted, “I looked at the list and didn’t worry about it for less than an hour.”
It is a high-speed sidearm comparable to Han Hyun-hee in the early days. I also went to the youth national team when I was in Seorak High School. He is not a player who was talking about the national top like Han Hyun-hee, but he received a lot of attention during his high school days. He throws fast balls up to 154 km, all two-seam. It’s like the promising version of ‘Hold King’ Jung Woo-young (LG Twins).
He could not overcome the burden of the actual mound. Lee Kang-jun himself expressed, “I was full of confidence when I started, but after he fell down, I couldn’t get out.”
Last winter he increased his running and sharpened his focus. The point at which he felt that the ninth pitch was not with his arms or hands, but with his body. He was recognized for his potential and passed the Sangmu.
He is a rewarding player that leaves much to be desired even as a Lotte. Lotte announced that Choo Jae-hyun, who enlisted on the 16th, was enlisted in the military as quickly as light. However, Lee Kang-joon enlisted in May, so he could not avoid being nominated as a compensation player.
Hyeon-hee Han showed potential with 3 wins, 4 losses and 7 holds by already appearing in 43 games (4 starts) in the first year of joining, and is a pitcher who won the hold king for two consecutive years with 27 holds in 2013 and 31 holds in 2014. Even though Lee Kang-joon is young, his career compared to his age is far from perfect.
However, even after returning from business, Lee Kang-joon is only 24 years old. He is too old to be called ‘chronic waiting’. How will his choice of Kiwoom be evaluated in the future?