It was a surprise selection that surprised even the team leader. LG Twins left-hander Kim Yun-sik (23) wore the Taegeuk mark.
On the 4th, KBO announced the final entry (30 people) for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) baseball team.
Six players from LG were selected for the national team. They are Kim Hyun-soo, Park Hae-min, Oh Ji-hwan, Ko Woo-seok, Jung Woo-young and Kim Yun-shik. Kim Hyeon-soo, a regular member of the national team, Park Hae-min, the best center fielder in the league, Oh Ji-hwan, shortstop, Golden Glover Oh Ji-hwan, and Go Woo-seok, the No. 1 save, and Jung Woo-young, the No. 1 hold, were expected members.
This year, fourth-year prospect Kim Yun-sik proudly made his name as a left-handed pitcher along with Kim Gwang-hyeon (SSG), Yang Hyeon-jong, Lee Eui-ri (above KIA), and Koo Chang-mo (NC).
In the 2022 season, Kim Yun-sik, who started in the 2nd team and went through a temporary selection, and grew rapidly to the 5th selection and the 3rd selection in the postseason, was selected as the national team for the first time after his professional debut. Surprising success in just one season.
Kim Yun-shik, who joined LG in 2020, spent his first two seasons playing as a swing man between the bullpen and temporary starters. Last year was a turning point for Yunshik Kim.
In spring camp, he competed for the 5th starting spot and was pushed back, and the season started with the 2nd team. On April 7, he pitched as a temporary starter and went down to the second team again, and after more than 10 days, on April 19, he was again called up to the first team as a temporary starter and threw. He returned to the first team at the end of April, and later joined the fifth starting team in mid-May. 메이저놀이터
In the first half, he pitched in 12 games (57⅓ innings) and went 3-3 with a 3.92 earned run average, gradually establishing himself as a starting pitcher. After starting as a starter, he had an early rout with 4 runs in ⅓ innings, and there were many ups and downs.
As the second half progressed, his commanding power stabilized and his pitch gradually improved. Since September, he has been very active with a 4-0, 0.79 earned run average in 6 games, not inferior to the best pitchers in the league. He pitched 34⅓ innings, allowing just 3 earned runs.
Kim Yun-shik recorded an average ERA of 3.31 with 8 wins and 5 losses in 23 games last year. Due to his outstanding performance in the second half, he was assigned the third starting position following foreign pitcher Kelly-Plutko in the postseason.
Kim Yun-shik, who started in the 3rd game of the playoffs with Kiwoom, pitched well with no runs until 2 outs in the 6th inning, and came down the mound with 2 outs and 1st base. The bullpen pitcher allowed the base runner to run and gave up one run.
Kim Yun-sik was included in the preliminary entry, and he was promoted to the final entry for the national team because he had experience both as a starter and as a bullpen, and was highly praised for his outstanding pitch in the second half of last year. Cha Myeong-seok, general manager of LG, who was selected as many as 6 people, was delighted, saying, “I didn’t expect Kim Yun-sik to be selected.”
Along with lefty duo Kim Gwang-hyun and Yang Hyeon-jong, who have been active in the national team for over 10 years, left-hander starter Koo Chang-mo, who succeeded them, and Lee Eui-ri, who was a rookie of the year, they became known as national left-handed pitchers.