The long-awaited Youth National Team will finally convene on August 21.
On August 23, the Youth National Team will take on the Kia Tigers 2nd team at 6pm at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju. The practice game against the second team is very important. Maybe even more important than the tournament itself. This is because they serve as a “measuring stick” for how well a player can perform in the pros.
So far, the picture is pretty clear with Hwang Jun-seo of the Hanwha Eagles and Kim Taek-yeon of the Doosan Bears. The Lotte Giants’ Jeon Mir is ahead of the pack, so it’s Yuk Sun-yeop and Cho Dae-hyun who are attracting the most attention.
These two are very important players who will decide the outcome of the top of the standings. First, Yuk is considered to have the best of both worlds as a pitcher.
He has a great height of 190 centimeters, a good changeup with a spoiler, a fastball that reached a maximum of 150 kilometers in the E-Mart ship, good quickness and athleticism, which are all qualities that make him a good pitcher.
However, it’s unfortunate that he hasn’t been able to show his true colors since his last appearance in the Cheongnyonggi. If he pitches well in the Youth National Team, it could be a game-changer.
But the player to watch at KIA Champions Field today is Cho Dae-hyun. Realistically, if it comes down to it, it will most likely be either Cho or Kim Hwi Gun.
And the current pace is that Kim Hwi Gun has a slight lead over Cho Dae Hyun. At least Kim proved his speed in the last presidential boat, reaching nearly 150 kilometers.
Until the Shinsegae E-Mart Vessel, Cho Dae-hyun was considered to be a potential third pick. He was impressive with his ability to hit the ball from high up the order. He also hit well.
He even hit a 148-kilometer ball off Hwang Jun-seo for a double. However, he gradually began to struggle. Dae-hyun Cho was a beast in middle school, but he had never pitched a full season in high school. He was also very skinny. It was hard for him to be a two-hitter. Gangneung Go is a powerhouse team that competes in every tournament, and with Yuk Cheong-myung out of the lineup, Cho’s effectiveness as an ace continued to decline.
Eventually, by the time of the President’s Cup, his velocity had dropped to the low 140s. Add to that the fact that he changes his arm swing, and while he pitches well when there are no runners on base, his pitches falter when there are runners on base. In addition, he is very thin, so his physical strength and stamina are not as good as Jeon Mir, who is also a two-hitter.
However, Cho Dae-hyun is still a raw, untapped player. If he goes pro and gets stronger, he is considered to be a resource that can throw more than 155 kilometers.
“Gangneung is a team that trains a lot, so restraint is inevitable to some extent,” Cho said in an interview with this publication. Coach Choi Jae-ho also said, “Dae-hyun is a pitcher who can improve his velocity tremendously after just one year as a professional. I hope he can build his body properly without using it for a year. You will see the birth of a tremendous pitcher.” He also needs to improve his slide step, which is relatively lacking.
For KIA, there is no choice. Since they have no choice, they are relatively relaxed. They are okay with whoever comes. Dae-hyun Cho is confident that KIA’s developmental system can turn him into a pitcher capable of throwing more than 155 kilometers.
He has good physicality and his pitching form is not bad. There’s also the example of how they developed Choi Ji-min, a senior at Gangneung High School. Kim is a right-handed hard-hitting fireballer, a type of pitcher that KIA doesn’t have. His fastball alone is rated as the best in high school. His cutter isn’t bad either. However, his jagged delivery has been a problem in big games.
2023 Youth National Team Roster
This is the first year of KIA head coach Shim Jae-hak’s tenure. It’s still a short period of time to make his mark, and one of the things he cares about most is development and the draft. This time, he will be paying more attention to the draft.안전놀이터
In the last draft, Cho Dae-hyun was unable to participate due to the team’s circumstances. This time, how will team manager Shim Jae-hak look at him?
Sim Jae-hak and team manager Kwon Yoon-min are expected to stare at Dae-hyun’s every move.