Will Kim Jin-wook (22), who has become the fourth starter of the Lotte Giants, take another leap forward with the 2024 season as a springboard.스포츠토토

Kim Jin-wook, who wore the Lotte jersey as the No. 1 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 rookie draft, was a sore finger for the club. He was called the second Ryu Hyun-jin in high school and was recognized for his talent to the extent that he even won the "Choi Dong-won Award," but he struggled on the professional stage. Contrary to expectations, Kim was sluggish enough to record a six-point ERA (6.31-6.36-6.44) every year from 2021 to 2023.

The biggest problem was ball control. Even though he had good pitching, walks often collapsed on his own. Kim Jin-wook's walks per nine innings amounted to 9.66 in the 2021 season and 6.75 in the 2022 season. He was 7.18 in the previous season.

Things didn't seem to change even after Kim Tae-hyung took office. Kim Jin-wook, who failed to make the first team roster for the opening game, started the season in the Futures League. Kim Jin-wook, who received a starting class in the second team, started to break out of the eggs little by little. He posted a record of one win and one loss with an ERA of 2.97 in seven games in the Futures League.

When he showed promise in the Futures League, he was called by the first team. Manager Kim Tae-hyung called up Kim Jin-wook in May. He started the game against the Samsung Lions on May 25 and received a passing score by allowing five hits, five strikeouts, and three runs in four ⅓ innings. On May 31, he won the game against the NC Dinos for the first time in 716 days by allowing three hits, two strikeouts, and one run in five innings.

Kim Jin-wook, who kept his starting rotation until the end of the season, recorded four wins, three losses and an ERA of 5.31 in 19 games. There were some areas that needed to be supplemented. The fact that he had ups and downs was something that needed improvement. He observed the game with one win and an ERA of 3.86 in two games in May, but his ERA soared to the four-point range (4.79-4.87) in June and July. He was sluggish in four games with one win and one loss and an ERA of 8.62 in August.

There is still homework to be solved, but it was a meaningful year because it showed the possibility of full potential. The most striking point was the reduced number of walks. Kim Jin-wook's walk per nine innings in the 2024 season was 4.68, down sharply from 7.18 in the 2023 season. It gave hope that the ball control problem that has plagued Kim Jin-wook can be solved.

Kim Jin-wook's growth has helped Lotte greatly. Lotte had trouble with the starting lineup as Na Kyun-an, who was selected as the fourth starting pitcher, stirred controversy due to controversy over his private life before the season and attending a drinking party on the eve of his starting lineup during the season, and his skills declined. At such a time, Kim Jin-wook filled the vacancy of Na Kyun-an and resolved the issue of the fourth starting lineup to some extent.

The variable in front of Kim Jin-wook, who has played the most innings (84 ⅔ innings) since his debut, recorded the lowest ERA, and laid the groundwork for a leap forward, is the enlistment of the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu). Kim Jin-wook was listed on the final successful candidate list in Sangmu in August. Although some players often delay their military service even after passing the exam, there is much time left until competitions such as the Asian Games, where you can expect military service benefits. Considering the uncertain future, it is not easy to delay enlistment and choose to remain on the team even at the risk of great risk. In addition, they often return to their original teams with their improvements in Sangmu. Attention is focusing on what decisions Lotte and Kim Jin-wook will make about joining the military, and whether they will be able to show full potential next season or the year after this year.