Above all, closing pitcher Ko Woo-suk is out, and left-hander Ham Deok-ju cannot play in the first half of this year due to news of his injury after signing a contract with the FA. Lee Jung-yong, who had previously played in the bullpen and starting pitcher, joined the military in Sangmu. Moreover, Jung Woo-young, who had high expectations as a must-win setup man, did not perform as well as he expected last year. As a result, he is facing the task of changing the mound filled with variables into a constant of counting in order to achieve success.
The absence of Ko Woo-suk, Ham Deok-ju and Lee Jung-yong is quite painful. Last year, however, LG won the title in a unified manner without operating them 100 percent. In place of Ko Woo-suk, who was often away due to injury, Kim Jin-seong and others stood by the back door, while rookie Park Myung-geun made a surprise performance in the beginning of the season. On top of that, Yoo Young-chan and Baek Seung-hyun became the winning team, which made people look forward to this year even more.
Then, what other factors can make the bullpen variable a constant? Considering the existence of Sung Dong-hyun, who finished the U-23 national team last year, left-hander Lee Sang-young, who made adjustments in the Futures League after being discharged from the military, and FA compensation players duo Yun Ho-sol and Kim Yoo-young, and former first-round pick Kim Young-jun. All of them can do their part in the first division.
There is also a "Woo Young Duo" that can empower LG's mound. Jin Woo-young, a right-handed orthodoxy who joined the team as a rookie after ending his long minor league career, including setup man sidearm Jung Woo-young. Given that both have the advantage of throwing powerful pitches as right-handed pitchers, this year is worth looking forward to.
Jung Woo-young desperately needs a rebound this year. Since he won the Rookie of the Year award, he showed the most sluggish performance with an ERA of 4.70 at only 11 holds last year. Although the pitching power remained, the lack of breaking balls to support the four-seam/two-seam plague ball was perceived by KBO league hitters, and there were many cases where he lost points even though he caught two outs. This year, he also volunteered to start the spring camp to overcome this point. As he has gained enough experience on the international stage through the WBC and the Asian Games, he can achieve his dream of overseas expansion only when his performance is premised this year.
Jin Woo-young, who has worked as a double hitter since he was an advanced school student, was actually an expectant player who joined Kansas City after participating in the World Power Showcase. He also paid attention to his shoulder in the Major League to the extent that the ball that went over the fence of Gocheok Sky Dome with an aluminum bat was impressive. However, he did not perform well in the minor league, contrary to his will, and after completing his military service as a public service agent after returning home, he built up his body for the Paju Challengers in the independent league. He can occupy a place in the LG bullpen this season in that he has a long career in fastballs that reach up to 94 miles (151 kilometers) and has more experience playing as a bullpen than a starter even during the rookie league.
Although his career and growth environment are different so far, two-year-old Tuul's "Woo Young Brothers" share the common denominator of attending school in Seoul (Jung Woo-young graduated from Seoul High School, Jin Woo-young transferred to a global advanced school while attending Bae Myung-joong). It will be interesting to see how the two, who expect to play key roles in the bullpen, will appear in front of fans.
BY: 스포츠토토