He finished his debut game in fall with the best description of rookie year. However, there were no wins, no saves and no holds next to Kim Taek-yeon's name. They were the only batters who didn't respond.

Kim Taek-yeon took the mound with runners on first and second bases with two outs in the top of the seventh inning of the second game of the 2024 KBO League postseason wild card (WC) held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 3rd. It was the moment when Kim, who was not a professional until last year, debuted on the fall stage, filling the 23,750-seat Jamsil Stadium. He is just 19 years old. Was there any chance that he was shaken by his debut game in fall? His debut game in the regular season was shaky and left a regret.메이저놀이터

That never happened. With perfect pitching even in fall, Kim proved why he is considered the top rookie of the year. From the time he took the mound to the last defense of Doosan's regular innings, he locked the back door neatly by allowing 38 pitches, two hits, no outs, and no strikeouts.

The closing pitcher Kim Taek-yeon came out in the seventh inning because his team was in the most critical situation. KT recruited runners against Kim Kang-ryul, and the batter was top hitter Mel Rojas Jr. With a batting average of 0.329 with 32 homers, 112 RBIs and 108 runs this season, Rojas hit a come-from-behind three-run home run in the game to decide fifth place on Wednesday, and played a decisive role in KT's victory with a single in the first game of the WC decision on Wednesday. Kim was the only player in Doosan's bullpen to be able to play against Rojas.

Kim Taek-yeon, who got the first strike with a 147km/h fastball at the first pitch, led the swing and miss with a change-up after one ball and one strike, and after a tight full count match, he hit a 150km/h fastball to garner a strikeout. He looked like an ace in the bullpen.

Kim Taek-yeon, who blocked Rojas, turned the game into her performance in the eighth inning as well. She struck out Jang Sung-woo, the first batter, by swinging and miss, and marked her postseason debut with two consecutive strikeouts. She only had hits in the middle to Kang Baek-ho, the next batter who is also the star of the final hit, but managed to keep the situation at 0-1. She pitched 2 1/3 innings, but pitched only 38 pitches.

Kim Taek-yeon was already one of the best finishers during the regular season. She stumped for a while in her first year as a pro, but after being called up again in April, she garnered a perfect pitching to win the game, and immediately started the game in May. She posted an ERA of 2.08 with three wins, two losses and 19 saves in 60 games during the regular season, setting a new record for the most saves ever by a high school graduate.

However, concerns that he pitched in 60 games at the age of 19 continued to follow Kim. Still, Kim said on the eve of the first round match of the WC decision, "I don't think I have lost my stamina. I received a lot of control in the second half of the year. I had enough strength to throw after resting a lot. I want to show him throwing the ball regardless of his age," and added, "Even if I get hit, I will be gutted." "It will not be perfect because it is the first fall and it is time to gain experience. I want to throw without regret."

Kim lived up to expectations. The problem lies elsewhere. Doosan lost without allowing a single game until the end of the ninth inning. Following the 0-4 defeat in the first game on Sunday, Doosan lost 18 consecutive innings. It lost to William Cuevas on the previous day and Wes Benjamin on the same day, feeling lethargic.

The batting lineup remained silent in the ninth inning after Kim Taek-yeon finished pitching. KT's Park Young-hyun, also the league's best closing pitcher, took the mound for three consecutive games, following the fifth-place game and the first round of the WC game. He finished the game with a ground ball, foul fly, and three strikeouts. It was the best, but could not shine, autumn baseball debut that the best 19-year-old closing pitcher ever sent.