Muk-Ibetsu isn't the only 'strongest rookie in baseball', there's also Ko Young-woo, “I want to be a national team member one day”

Kiwoom Heroes' Ko Young-woo, 23, is continuing his strong debut season.

The rookie infielder joined Kiwoom in the fourth round (39th overall) of the 2024 rookie draft. A graduate of Gyeongnam High School and Sungkyunkwan University, Ko batted .307 (81-for-216) with 10 home runs, 77 RBI, 44 runs scored, eight doubles, and a 1.077 OPS in 65 games in college.

He was included in the season-opening roster on March 23 and has never been removed from the first team. However, he struggled to get playing time early on in the season as the Kiwoom infield was loaded with talented players such as Kim Hye-sung, Choi Ju-hwan, Song Sung-moon, Kim Hwi-jip, and Lee Won-seok. His first hit came on March 31 against LG, more than a week after the season opened.

Even after his first hit, Go Young-woo didn't get much playing time, but when Kim Hye-sung was briefly sidelined with a minor injury, he began to get more playing time. In a doubleheader against Doosan on March 21, he went 3-for-5 with three RBIs in the first game to lead the team to victory and added another hit in the second game, giving him four hits in one day. He followed that up with two consecutive multi-hit games. On the season, he is currently batting 5-for-16 (45 at-bats) with four RBIs, four runs scored and an .830 OPS in 20 games.

“It was good to feel like I helped the team a lot,” said Ko. After the game, my parents were the first thing I thought of. I had imagined that I wanted to hit a triple someday, but I didn't think I would actually do it. Getting a lot of hits didn't change that. I tried to hit with the mindset that every at-bat was my first at-bat,” he said, reflecting on the doubleheader against Doosan that marked the turning point in his season.

“I always have the mindset to do better in the environment I'm given. When I got my first chance to play, I thought I should take it, and I also thought I should fill the void left by the injured players. In defense, I'm most confident at third base. I'm confident in my other positions, so there's no pressure. But if I had to pick one position, I would say third base because I play it the most,” he said.

“I don't feel any pressure at the plate,” he emphasized. “I think it's important to have the idea that I can win no matter what pitcher comes up. I always go into the batter's box with that in mind, so I don't feel any pressure,” he said, expressing confidence in his batting.

Before joining the professional ranks, Go Young-woo appeared on the baseball entertainment program “Strongest Baseball” and became a hot topic. Even though he wasn't asked to participate in the program, he drew attention from fans when he visited his seniors to practice baseball. This season, Hwang Young-mook (Hanwha) has been nicknamed “Muk-ibetsu” by fans, but Go Young-woo has been performing the best alongside him.

“I think I was more enthusiastic because I wanted to learn something more,” he says, looking back on his time on the program. “I would go to the gym earlier to train before I started playing, and I always gave it my all during practice and games.” “I was also a little greedy for the broadcast,” he laughed, adding, “I'm grateful that more fans have come to see me now than I thought. I'll do my best to show you something better,” he added.

Before the Major League Baseball Seoul Series in South Korea, Kiwoom played a special game against the Dodgers on March 17th. The Dodgers won the game 14-3, but it was a valuable experience for Kiwoom's young players. Go Young-woo went 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. In the seventh inning, he took a three-pitch 94.9-mile-per-hour (152.7 km/h) sinker from Dodgers closer Evan Phillips for a hit. “It helped me a lot to see and play against the best players. I've been watching the Dodgers players in practice and copying them. I think I improved a little bit,” he said.

“This year, my first goal is to finish the season well without any injuries,” he said. “I hope to be a player who stays with the first team whether I play or not, and I want to become a national team player one day, which is something I've dreamed of since I was a child.”


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