Doosan has yet to make its debut in the KBO League due to a dizzying injury to Dylan Pyle (27), a new foreign pitcher, hit in the head during camp. After recovering and improving his physical condition, he is about to show himself in front of fans. Nevertheless, during the month of April, it held up well with a win rate of more than 50% (12 wins, 11 losses, 1 draw).
This was possible because there were young starting pitchers who filled Dylan’s void well, and one of them was third-year right-hander Kim Dong-ju (21). Kim Dong-joo, who graduated from Sunrin Internet High School and was nominated for Doosan’s second round (10th overall) in 2021, made his first-team debut last year and showed his potential well by acting as a starter at the beginning of the season this year.
His assignment as a substitute starter exceeded expectations to the extent that everyone applauded. He started in four games and pitched 21 innings, going 1-1 with a 2.14 earned run average. He showed off management unlike a rookie-level player, recording quality starts twice (with 3 earned runs or less in 6 or more starting innings). Considering that he is an unfinished pitcher, he has proved that the future potential itself is great. It must have left a strong impression on Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop.
Then, what kind of charm did Kim Dong-ju have? First of all, the physical condition is superior. The high RBI that comes out of the 190 cm tall is impressive. He has one of the highest release points in the league. As a common cliché, it is high enough to give the impression that hitters are throwing a ball from the ‘second floor’. The various types of pitches that come out here draw their own trajectory and dig into the batter’s low course.
According to this year’s tally of ‘Trackman’, which provides tracking data to 9 KBO league teams, Kim Dong-ju’s average release point is around 190cm. He is the highest within the Doosan team and is one of seven pitchers in the league with an average release point of 190 cm or more. His extensions aren’t long, but his velocity isn’t slow. He averages a fastball of about 144.2 km per hour, and can throw a ball in the middle and upper half of the top 140 km. Vertical movement is also above league average. Basically, since the RBI is high, this advantage is further doubled.
Here, a slider at about 132 km and a splitter at about 134 km are supported. Although the trajectories are different, the speed is similar and the position of the ball is high, so it is not easy for hitters to distinguish the two pitches until the last moment, explained Kim Seong-bae, member of the ‘Spottime Baseball’ committee. He said that he has high potential in terms of his pitching form and overall physical condition.
Commissioner Kim evaluated, “When you swing your arm, you start from the same spot, but the trajectory changes in front of the batter. The slider goes into the strike zone, and the splitter goes into the ground.” Among them, the type of pitch Kim pays attention to is the slider. Commissioner Kim explained, “It is used not only as a deciding ball, but also as a striker. Basically, it means that the player has confidence in the slider.” In fact, Kim Dong-ju has a higher percentage of sliders (44.3%) than fastballs this year.
Committee member Kim said that this slider has a unique personality and has a lot of charm. Commissioner Kim said, “Basically, the slider has an angle that makes it inevitable to drop it as a bell. However, when throwing the slider, there are times when it is twisted and there are times when it is thrown from above.” It is the same pitch, but the trajectory itself is a ball with a different character. If you don’t have confidence in the completeness and sense of the slider, you can’t do it.
In fact, the axis of rotation of Kim Dong-ju’s slider shows a large deviation for each ball. On the 27th, at the Daegu Samsung Exhibition, the temperature ranged from 24 degrees to 258 degrees. It’s literally like throwing a slider with a completely different axis of rotation. These various rotational axes lead to various movements of the slider and can be a factor that makes it difficult for hitters to predict. It is not easy for pitchers who are good at throwing sliders to show this sense. Because of the experience of throwing with various axes of rotation, it can be connected that the possibility of future evolution is brighter.메이저놀이터
The key is the body. Commissioner Kim encouraged, “The body has not been fully formed yet. The body must be stronger. Then you will be able to throw a faster ball and a better pitch.” If the speed of the fastball becomes faster with strength attached to the body, you can throw a powerful ball to the high side with a high RBI. In that case, the power of the breaking ball is also doubled.
Doosan’s thoughts are not different. Former coach Kim Tae-hyung paid much attention to Kim Dong-joo’s conditioning last year as well. He was skinny, so I thought he needed a little more strength. As a result, he is evaluated that his lower body has improved a lot this year. Will ‘Dongju’ be a name that is good at baseball in Doosan?