One of the players that LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop mentioned as a candidate for an "alternative finish" following Jang Hyun-sik's ankle injury is rookie pitcher Kim Young-woo (20).

Coach Yeom told reporters ahead of the Blue and White match held at Scottsdale Indian School Park Baseball Stadium in Arizona on the 20th (Korea time), "There should be ball power to finish. Basically, a closing pitcher without ball power is always anxious. If Jang Hyun-sik has to miss the beginning of the season, I will check on Kim Young-woo."안전놀이터

It is not easy for a high school graduate rookie pitcher to jump on the professional stage immediately and secure the finishing pitcher.

Last season's KBO League Rookie Kim Taek-yeon (19, Doosan Bears) set a new record for the most saves by a high school graduate in the KBO League with 19 saves.

Coach Yeom's expectation from Kim Young-woo is "the second Kim Taek-yeon."

Coach Yeom predicted, "Kim Young-woo will make tremendous efforts to grow like Kim Taek-yeon, regardless of coaching or staff."

Kim Young-woo, who was nominated by LG as the 10th overall in the first round in the 2025 KBO League Rookie Draft, is a player who shot a fastball of up to 156 kilometers per hour when he was a student at Seoul High School.

He mainly played as a closing pitcher, and if he threw only one inning, his speed averaged well over 150 kilometers per hour.

Kim Young-woo took the mound as the last pitcher of the white team in the Blue and White game on the same day and finished the first inning lightly with eight balls.

He took the mound in the seventh inning with his team leading 6-2 and gave up a left-handed hit to the first batter Lee Han-rim with two strikes, but induced Choi Won-young to play a double play to the third baseman.

And he cooked Koo Bon-hyuk with a ground ball to shortstop and finished the inning.

Kim Young-woo, whom I met after the game, said, "When I played the Blue and White match, I had a strong senior behind me, so I threw it more comfortably."

He added, "As a rookie, you learn how to throw a ball with guts, even if you get a hit, so you look at the center and throw it. The coach also told you to throw it like that."

Kim Young-woo caught a first-pitch strike from all three batters he faced in his first real game as a professional.

"I'm satisfied with the part where we continued to play fast and threw strikes well, but it was regrettable that I got a hit (from Lee Han-rim) after hitting two strikes and throwing curves. I'm glad that I learned another thing from that today."

He carefully expressed his will to be mentioned as one of the temporary closer candidates.

"I'm excited just thinking about it. It's an important position, so if you let me do it, I'll prepare well," Kim said. "I almost threw as a finishing pitcher in high school as well."

Kim Young-woo, who has just entered the professional stage, throws breaking balls skillfully as well as fastballs.

Curves are the main weapon, and sliders and fork balls are also being polished.

"I feel like my curve is going in the best, and I've improved a lot with my fork ball," Kim said. "I think I can use it all in games because the slider (changing angle) is short and fast (restraint) is fast."

For Kim Young-woo, having Kim Dong-hyun (kt wiz), who was a classmate when he was a student at Seoul High School, is a great help.

Kim Dong-hyun, who was named right in front of Kim Young-woo after being named kt as the ninth overall in the first round in the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft, is a player who boasted strong pitching in kt's Australian spring camp.

Kim Young-woo said, "I'm going to talk about baseball with Dong-hyun. Each of us talks about what kind of sports we do in our team. And we talk about what we learned from him. We are friends who will grow together."