"Highly rated for Growth"...Kang Hyo-jong selected by KIA, will he be the next Kim Do-hyun
"Highly rated for Growth"...Kang Hyo-jong selected by KIA, will he be the next Kim Do-hyun
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Can Kang Hyo-jong become the second Kim Do-hyun (hereinafter, KIA Tigers).
KIA said on the 19th, "We appointed pitcher Kang Hyo-jong as a transfer compensation player for Jang Hyun-sik, who signed a free agent (FA) contract with the LG Twins."
Kang Hyo-jong, from Chungam Middle School and Chungam High School, is a right-handed pitcher who was called by LG for the first nomination in 2021. He made his first-team debut against the Changwon NC Dinos on Oct. 7, 2022, and made a splendid appearance by winning the starting title by allowing five hits, four strikeouts, and two runs in five innings.
However, he has not displayed much presence since then. In seven games (21.2 innings) in the 2023 season, he only had one win and two losses and an earned run average of 6.23 and played in one game this season, recording an earned run average of 20.25 (three runs in 1.1 innings). Thus, Kang's overall performance for the first team remains to be 2 wins, 2 losses and an earned run average of 6.43 in nine games (28 innings). In addition, he posted an earned run average of 5.19 with four wins, 14 losses and one hold in 36 games in the Futures League.
Kang Hyo-jong, who was about to join the military on Dec. 2, was called by KIA. He will be discharged from the military service in June 2026.
Though Kang cannot be used for his full strength immediately, there is a clear reason why KIA appointed him. This is why it paid attention to Kang's potential. Although Kang did not show anything right now, he can throw fastballs that can reach up to 150 kilometers if he is healthy. Born in 2002, Kang is considered a potential starting pitcher due to his young age and excellent control of breaking balls.
Naturally, a lot of attention is also focused on whether Kang Hyo-jong can become the second Kim Do-hyun. Kim Do-hyun, who was nominated by Hanwha Eagles as the 33rd overall in the second fourth round in 2019, transferred to KIA through a trade at the beginning of the 2022 season and joined the active military in the middle of that year.
His military career marked a turning point for Kim. Having steadily developed through weight training and running, Kim has become more solid in every aspect, and since being discharged from the military in February, he has contributed to Kia's V12 by recording four wins, six losses and an ERA of 4.92 in 35 games (75 innings) this season.
Above all, his performance deserved more applause in that he minimized the absence of starting pitchers. Whenever starting pitchers were out due to injury, Kim filled in as substitutes. Soon after winning the regular season title, KIA manager Lee Bum-ho said, "(Hwang Dong-ha, Kim Do-hyun, etc.) won a lot of games where they played. I hope this season will serve as an opportunity for further development." If Kang Hyo-jong returns after growing up like Kim Do-hyun, Kia will gain great strength. 먹튀검증
An official from KIA said, "As I joined the professional team with the first nomination, I highly appreciated the possibility of growth, and there was no disagreement at the meeting with the coaching staff," adding, "We are about to rent the military in December, and we decided to designate Kang Hyo-jong as a compensation player because it is a resource that will be of great help to the team if it grows further while serving in the military at Sangmu."