"I really want to take on my senior. I will strike out with fastballs no matter what."

NC Dinos rookie Kim Tae-hoon was looking forward to meeting high school senior Hwang Sung-bin.

Kim Tae-hoon, a native of Dongcheon Middle School and Sorae High School, is a right-handed pitcher who was nominated by NC for 17th overall in the second round in 2025. His strength is the fiery fastball, and he is considered NC's next-generation closer early on.메이저사이트

For Kim Tae-hoon, the past 15 days became an unforgettable day. This is why he made his dream debut in the first division through the match against the Incheon SSG Landers.

Taking the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning when NC was being dragged 0-3, he induced leadoff hitter Park Sung-han to ground out, but shortstop Kim Joo-won made a throwing error and allowed him to get on base. However, he did not falter. Choi was tied up with a fly ball to right field, and Han Yu-sum also grounded out to second.

However, the bad luck continued. Ryan McBroom hit a ground ball, but third baseman Kim Hui-jip made a mistake. Meanwhile, second baseman Park Sung-han dug into the groove. Fortunately, Choi Jun-woo was cooked with a fly to left field, and he finished his mission without losing any additional points.

His final record was one run (zero earned runs) in one inning. The total number of pitches he pitched was 15, and the maximum speed of fastballs was measured up to 151 kilometers.

Looking back on the SSG match on the 15th, Kim Tae-hoon, who met at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium, where the doubleheader against the Kiwoom Heroes took place on the 17th, said, "I focused more because it was my debut match. I was very nervous, but I tried to throw the ball confidently. I was very nervous, but I thought it was a Futures (second division) league and tried to be as comfortable as possible."

Coincidentally, I felt even better because I made my debut in Incheon, my hometown. "I was so happy when I heard that I had to warm up in the seventh inning. (Incheon SSG Landersfield) was a baseball stadium that I've been to a lot since I was young. I went there so many times that I went there every weekend. I was thinking about the mound, but it was new and doubly good to take this opportunity," he said with a big smile.

He was not swayed by Choi Jeong, the most powerful player in the Korean pro baseball league, and induced a hit. Choi Jeong is the first slugger to surpass 500 home runs in total in the Korean pro baseball league. In particular, during the three consecutive games against NC from the 13th to the 15th, he showed off his good batting sense to the extent that he recorded four hits and three home runs in 12 at-bats.

Kim Tae-hoon smiled and said, "Actually, I started playing baseball after seeing Choi Jeong. I thought I wanted to play a game, but when I saw the lineup, it was there. I became conscious, but I didn't have to be discouraged. I wanted to play with all my strength, but I think I blocked it well."

"(Kim Joo-won and Kim Hwi-jip who made mistakes) The older brothers came after the game and said sorry. In baseball, mistakes can always be made. I didn't mind much. It was okay to block the next batter (Choi Jun-woo)," he said. "(Coach Lee Ho-joon) congratulated me on my debut. My parents came to the stadium in person and saw me. "I didn't meet them after the game, but they called me and said I did a good job. It was my first time to take the mound and they complimented me on my performance without being nervous. They said they were proud of me."

His experiences in the first division made him stronger. "At times, 150 kilometers or more would lead to fouls and he couldn't hit the ball properly," he said. "When I played in the first division, even if I threw 150 kilometers, the ball flew to the outfield. The strength was different. I felt that I should pay more attention to the command and pitch more carefully," he nodded.

Of course, he has maintained his confidence. When asked what he thinks he is the best player in the team, Kim said, "Speed. The ball is fast, but he can control the ball. I also have a weapon called slider. That is my strength. I want to continue to show better performances than before the debut."

Finally, Kim expressed his desire to play against Hwang. Hwang, who was called by Lotte as No. 44 in the second round of the fifth round in 2020, is a right-handed, left-handed outfielder with a batting average of 0.293 (283 hits from 967 times at bat), five homers, 62 RBIs and 80 stolen bases in 329 games. He is also a senior to Kim.

Kim Tae-hoon said, "Hwang Sung-bin is a high school senior and we worked out together in winter. When I was working out, the pro gave me a lot of advice. He advised me not to change when I was a professional, but to do the same as in high school," adding, "I really want to deal with Hwang Sung-bin once. "I will strike out with a fastball no matter what," he said, adding to his voice.