Big league scouts mixed on left-hander Kim Kwang-hyun

As his South Korean club SK Wyverns announced their plan to post him for interested Major League Baseball clubs next month, left-handed starter Kim Kwang-hyun was a picture of confidence.

Kim talked the talk at his press conference, saying he’s ready to perform on a bigger stage and that he is anxious to see if he can fool big leaguers with his breaking pitches or overpower them with his fastballs.

Whether Kim can walk the walk remains to be seen, at least in the minds of big league scouts.

The 26-year-old hurler, who has pitched in the Korea Baseball Organization since 2007, will be up for a silent auction among 30 MLB clubs.

One veteran MLB scout, who has seen Kim since his earlier KBO days, said the South Korean could pitch in the big leagues ― just not as a starter right away.

“I think Kim would have to get better than he is now if he wants to be a starter,” the scout told Yonhap. “He fits the profile of a relief pitcher right now. He can probably pitch as a starter in Japan now, so that will be tempting for him.”

The scout specifically noted that Kim would have to work on his changeup.

The lanky, 188-centimeter-tall lefty has a high release point. His fastball can top out at 155 kilometers per hour but generally sits around 150 kilometers per hour. With a high leg kick and a wild delivery, Kim also throws a sharp slider, which can break either vertically or horizontally.

At Wednesday’s presser, Kim said he was confident with his fastball and slider, and he wanted to learn how to throw a better changeup to thrive in the big leagues.

Kim could do worse than learn from another South Korean southpaw who beat him to the majors: Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose bread-and-butter pitch in the majors has been a changeup.

“It’s difficult for a lefty to pitch in MLB without much of a changeup,” the scout said.

“That’s Ryu’s best pitch and a driver of his success. It’s Kim’s worst pitch.” (Yonhap)