Yang Hyeon-jong emerges as new ace

Kia Tigers starting pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong in a game against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Thursday. Yang finished with a one-hit shutout and the Tigers beat the Bears 6-0. / Yonhap

By Baek Byung-yeul

Kia Tigers Yang Hyeon-jong has always been regarded as one of the best starting pitchers in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), but no one has ever argued he was above Ryu Hyun-jin, the former Hanwha Eagles player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers of the Major League Baseball (MLB).

But opinions on Yang have been slowly changing since last season.

The 27-year-old lefthander, who had the most wins in the league last season with 16, threw a one-hit shutout against the Doosan Bears on Thursday, striking out 10 batters while allowing 2 walks in a 6-0 game.

With that game, Yang earned his sixth win of the season and solidified his status as the league’s most prolific pitcher, allowing 13 runs in 79 innings, leading the KBO in ERA (earned run average) by a big margin with a 1.48 ERA, followed by Josh Lindblom of the Lotte Giants (3.09) and Tyler Cloyd of the Samsung Lions (3.10).

Yang is also leading in quality starts (an index showing an outgoing performance in which the starting pitcher lasts at least six innings and gives up three runs or fewer) with nine, as well as is leading in OBA (on base average, a measure of how often batters reach base) with .214, followed by Lindblom (.246) and Cloyd (.251).

As the Tigers are just behind the top teams in the pennant race in eighth place with 27 wins and 28 losses, it is important for Yang to keep his team within reach of the top teams. He is expected to start his team’s first game in a three-game series with the fourth-place Nexen Heroes in Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on Tuesday.

What remains to be seen is whether the Heroes batters can predict what Yang will throw them. Yang is known to throw a fastball that can reach up to 150 kilometers per hours (kph) and a slider from 122 to 135 kph.

Yang also has a lot to learn from his last season.

For the first 12 games last year, Yang was tied for the lead in wins with 7 while throwing in 81 1/3 innings; his ERA was the second-best with 2.99. But when throwing in 17 games later, the ERA soared over 5 and he had to finish the season with 4.25, being criticized that he lacked the stamina to maintain good performance levels through the entire season.

Vying to become next Ryu

As Ryu, who garnered 98 wins in seven seasons with the Eagles, has left the KBO, Yang is competing for the best domestic starting pitcher title against the Wyverns lefthander Kim Kwang-hyun.

In the same week when Yang had his second career shutout win on Thursday, the Wyverns lefthander Kim Kwang-hyun also had a shutout game, allowing three hits and one walk in a 3-0 game against the LG Twins in Seoul, Sunday. It was the 26-year-old hurler’s third career shutout. His second shutout was made 1,813 days ago in June 20, 2010. With this win, Kim earned his seventh win in the season, which is tied for the league’s second-best.

The two pitchers, who were both born in 1988, both sought spots on Major League rosters, but failed to reach contract agreements.

Just as Yang is key to the success of the Tigers, Kim also needs to show more for his team, currently fifth with 28 wins, 26 losses and 1 draw. Kim is expected to start his team’s game against the Giants in SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, Saturday.