Background: Kim pitched Korea to the 1994 World Junior Championship title and in 1996 became his nationÕs youngest baseball Olympian ever. He signed with the Red Sox for $1 million a year later. Kim won the Futures Game and was part of an Arizona Fall League championship club in 1999, but his 2000 season at Pawtucket was most notable for a fight with JapanÕs Tomokazu Ohka over who was the better prospect.

Strengths: Kim has the highest ceiling of any of the Asian pitchers in the upper levels of BostonÕs system. He has excellent movement on his fastball, which touches 95 mph, and has no problem throwing it for strikes. Kim also has the potential to have an above-average breaking pitch and possibly a plus changeup. He pitches to both sides of the plate.

Weaknesses: Kim needs to further develop his offspeed stuff and refine his location within the strike zone. He throws too many strikes and is vulnerable when he doesnÕt get his pitches down. KimÕs release point tends to wander, though that may be by design.

The Future: Kim needs to have success in Triple-A before heÕs ready for Boston. He has better stuff than Ohka but lacks his feel for pitching.