Stout threw 30 pitches at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on Sunday. Stout, who worked with catcher Han Jun-su, displayed various pitching styles including fastball, change-up, cutter, and slider. The maximum speed of fastball is 144 kilometers. KIA manager Lee Bum-ho and his coaches closely monitored Stout's pitching.
Stout, who started against Rakuten in the Taiwanese professional baseball league on the 23rd and played five innings, said after pitching in the bullpen, "I'm in good condition. I didn't throw with all my strength, and I focused on checking my physical condition. In the second half, I pitched with the game situation set." Regarding the feeling of catching the official ball in the KBO League and the weather, he said, "It feels a little small and thick (compared to the official ball in Taiwan). The weather is a little hot, but it's okay because it's similar to Taiwan. I'll try to adapt well before my first game."
Stout, a left-hander, had six wins and five losses and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.28 in 12 games last year while wearing a mid-body uniform. He renewed his contract this year and pitched 113 ⅔ innings in 19 games, recording 10 wins and five losses and an ERA of 2.77. While giving up 27 walks, he garnered 109 strikeouts. His record ranks third with multiple wins and fourth with strikeouts in the CPBL.
Stout, who was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 13th round of the 2014 Rookie Draft, entered the big league for the first time in the 2018 season. In the 2022 season, he played 22 ⅓ innings in 20 games as a bullpen pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, and spent the same year with the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates. After playing for Triple-A in the minor league last year, he joined Jungshin and started his challenge in Asia.
"I want to show my fans how I can help the team win as much as possible," Stout said. "I hope Nail will come back after recovering from her injury as soon as possible," he said. "I will pour out everything I have in the meantime and try to win the team."
"I checked four to five pitches, and they were all good. Good changeups and sweeper angles were good. The cutter's left and right movements were good, too. I think we brought the best players under the circumstances given to us," Lee said.