“I want to be like senior Sohyeongjun.”
In the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft held in September of last year, there is a player whose name was called as the last 110th. It is Kang Geon (19), a right-handed pitcher from Jangan High School. This draft was the first full draft in the 10-team system, and this was the first time that the 11th round was nominated while names were called from 1st place in the 1st round to 11th place in the 11th round.
Kang Geon, the first man ranked 110 in the KBO and named last in the 2023 draft, played 11 high school baseball games this year, recording an average ERA of 4-2 and an average ERA of 2.94. He struck out 53 batters in 51.2 innings.
There is a saying that ‘happiness is not in order of place’. Waiting for the day when he will step on the mound at Suwon KT Wiz Park someday, Kang Geon is training harder than anyone else at the Iksan National Baseball Training Center, where the kt Future Steam spring camp training ground is set up.
Kang Geon, who met with MK Sports on the 7th, said, “Currently, our team’s spring camp has just finished the first turn and entered the second turn. I talk a lot with my coaches. In the training part, they tell us a lot about the functional and balanced parts.”
He continued, “As expected, the pros are different from high school in details. It seems that the technique, weight, and the way to use strength are different,” he said. The classmates became close as soon as they arrived.”
Kang Geon is a native of Suwon, born and raised in Suwon, the hometown of kt. High school also came from Jangan High School located in Suwon. Since he was little, he grew up watching kt’s games often. Among them, Kang Geon, who grew up watching kt legend Yuhan-Jun play, still can’t believe this moment. He is thrilled that he is training with the seniors he admired.
He said, “I watched coach Yu Han-joon’s games from the stands every day. But now that I’m next to you, I’m both nervous and curious.”
After coming to kt, Kang Geon gained about 10kg. “I was skinny in high school. Here, I deliberately ate a lot to gain some weight,” said Kang Gun.
If it wasn’t for the kt nomination, which was his favorite team, how would Kang Geon be living now?
Kang Gun said, “I was watching the draft at school. Even in the last round, my name kept not being called, so I said, ‘Okay, let’s just go to university. I was thinking, ‘Let’s write an application. But my friends suddenly shouted, so I said ‘why, why’, but they congratulated me saying that it was me. Not only my high school friends with whom I played baseball, but also friends I had been with in elementary and middle school contacted me a lot. He explained that even his parents congratulated him with tears in their eyes.” 온라인바카라
This is the start. To be honest, it is not yet an immediate power in the first team. In the 2nd group, he needs to refine his skills and draw the width of his growth. In the 2nd team, the two names Kang Geon should be known to KT Futures coach Kim Ki-tae.
Kang said, “I know how to throw a fastball, two-seam, slider, knuckle curve, and splitter. Among them, I am confident in two of them, the slider and the splitter. You can strike out a lot with the slider. The maximum velocity came out to 145 km,” he said, stressing, “I will not overdo it in the 2023 season and will slowly improve my skills while talking with the coach and training part.”
His role model is kt’s ace Joon Sohn. When asked why he was chosen as a role model, he replied, “His form is also sophisticated and pretty. He seems to be good at managing the game on the mound,” was Kang’s reason.
Finally, he said, “Coach Bae Yeol and Coach Sung Yong Hong, thank you so much for helping me a lot in the training part.” I will become a player who approaches the fans first.”