He wants to show that his draft position doesn’t matter.
KT Wiz rookie right-hander Kang Gun joined the first team roster on the 3rd. It’s his first call-up. Pitcher Ha Jun-ho was designated for assignment and Kang filled the void.
He was drafted by KT in the 11th round, 110th overall, in the 2023 KBO Draft out of Maehyangjoong and Jangang-Ango. He was the last of all draftees to be called. Kang Gun said, “I was looking forward to it because I’m going to school in my hometown (Suwon), but I was nervous because I wasn’t called until the end. Fortunately, I was grateful to be selected,” he recalled, adding, “I was happy to come to my favorite team.”
After spending time as a developmental player, he was finally converted to a registered player. KT manager Lee Kang-cheol said of Kang-geon before the game against Suwon KIA on March 3, “I heard he’s fine. His fastball is in the mid-140 kilometers per hour, and he has a good forkball and slider,” Lee said, adding, “I hope I get a chance to see him pitch.”
“I wasn’t even expecting (the call-up). I’ve been training with the mindset of ‘take it slow,’ but I think I got called up earlier than I thought.” “I’m excited and nervous. I was nervous when I got the news,” he said. “I kept thinking about what to do in the first team and how to throw when I get on the mound,” he added.
Facing seniors like Girasung “It was strange to see the players I had seen on TV right in front of me. I have a lot of pitching brothers who are good, so I think I should learn hard,” he smiled.
There was one senior in particular he wanted to meet. “I wanted to meet (closer) Kim Jae-yoon because I wanted to learn how to hit fastballs hard,” he explained, “and I also wanted to ask the foreign players.”
Kang played in the second team Futures League as a middle reliever. “I pitched for strikes with a strong fastball. I also practiced a lot with my splitter and curveball to get strikeouts,” he said, “I think it would be good to utilize it well in the first team.” His fastball reached a maximum velocity of 148 kilometers per hour. 토토사이트
“I want to show my potential first,” Kang said, “I’m most confident in my fastball and curve, so I want to be able to show that I can catch batters with them.