Kim’s nickname is “KK”...His translator’s name is Yonsei “Craig” Choi...Attended Ansan Technical High School in Ansan, Gyeonggido, South Korea, and led his team to their first National Championship pitching four complete game wins in the tournament, earning MVP honors with an 0.96 ERA...Member of the South Korea U-18 World Cup Champions as a 16-year old in 2006 earning World Cup MVP honors...Kim and his wife, Sang Hee, reside in Incheon, South Korea, with their daughter, Minjoo, and son, Minjae.
2020
Named to the Topps 2020 All-Star Rookie Team as a lefthanded starting pitcher...Began the season as the Cardinals closer, recording a save in his first Major League appearance at age 32 years old vs. PIT (7/24), the 5th-oldest pitcher to make a save in his MLB debut and the first Cardinals pitcher to record a save in his MLB debut since Brad Thompson vs. SD (5/8/2005)...Transitioned into a starting pitcher for his next appearance on 8/17 at CHI (1) following a 17-day layoff due to a COVID outbreak internally with the Cardinals; and remained in the rotation the rest of the season...Among NL pitchers with at least six starts, ranked 1st in ERA (1.62), 12th in WHIP (1.03), 11th in opp. AVG (.197), 8th in opp. OBP (.260) and 10th in opp. SLG (.324)...Missed 12 games on the Injured List with a unspecified injury related to abdominal pain (9/2-13)...Has not received a loss in his first eight appearances and seven starts, the first Cardinals pitcher to make seven starts to begin his Cardinals career without a loss since Austin Gomber had eight in 2018 and three shy of the Cardinals record of 10 by Miles Mikolas (2018), Vic Raschi (1954) and Paul Dean (1934)... Held his opposition to three hits or less in five of seven starts...Posted an 0.33 ERA through his first five major league starts, ranking second among left-handed pitchers since ERA became an official statistic in 1913 (Fernando Valenzuela, 0.20) (courtesy of Elias)...One of only three pitchers in MLB history to have a stretch of four consecutive starts allowing no earned runs and three or fewer hits in at least five innings of work since ER became an official stat in 1912 (Jake Arrieta (CHI 2015-16) & Michael Fulmer (DET 2016), 4 each) (courtesy of Elias).
2020 POSTSEASON: Started Game 1 of the 2020 Wild Card Series at San Diego (9/30), did not factor in the decision in the Cardinals lone postseason win (7-4)...pitched 3.2 innings allowing three runs on five hits...was the first South Korean-born pitcher to make a start in a Wild Card game and joined Hyun-Jin Ryu as the only two to start a postseason game....was the 5th South Korean pitcher to appear in a postseason game...became the first Cardinals rookie left-handed starter in a postseason game since Bud Smith in 2001 vs. Arizona (Game 4 NLDS)... first pitcher to earn a save in his MLB debut and start Game 1 of a postseason series in that same season (since the save became a stat in 1969).
2019
Named KBO Best Pitcher with the SK Wyverns posting a 17-6 record with a 2.51 ERA in 190.1 innings with 180 strikeouts...Led the KBO in quality starts (24) while ranking second in wins and strikeouts, third in ERA and innings pitched...Was a road warrior earning 13 of his 17 wins on the road going 13-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 16 appearances. Struck out exactly 90 batters both at home and on the road...Made 26 starts of 6.0 innings or more with 24 of those quality starts including a run of 16 straight quality starts from 5/15-8/25...Struck out a season-high 10 batters over 5.0 innings vs. Hanwha (5/9) and threw a season-high 8.0 innings vs. Kiwoom (8/8) allowing one unearned run...Went 8-1 over nine starts from 6/19-8/20 posting a 1.67 ERA over 59.1 innings and did not allow more than two earned runs in any start during the stretch...Made one relief appearance, tossing one-third of an inning vs. KT Wiz (9/15) allowing a run on two hits with a strikeout...Pitched for South Korea in the Premier 12 posting a 1-1 record with a 2.89 ERA in two starts, striking out 10 in 9.1 innings. Threw 6.0 scoreless innings of one-hit ball against Canada. Qualified South Korea for the 2020 Beijing Olympics with a second place finish.
2018
Ranked 10th in the KBO with 11 wins.
2017
Missed the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
2016
Led SK Wyverns with 11 wins, edging out teammate and current Arizona Diamondback Merrill Kelly...Made six relief appearances, his most since seven during his rookie season in 2007.
