"Choi Ji-min's performance is important after Jang Hyun-sik's departure"... KIA is expected to revive its left-hander
"Choi Ji-min's performance is important after Jang Hyun-sik's departure"... KIA is expected to revive its left-hander
Blog Article
The defending champion KIA Tigers held its first spring camp in Irvine, Orange County, California, the U.S. from Aug. 25 to Aug. 17. It will boost its pace smoothly without any injuries and hold its second spring camp in Okinawa, Japan from Aug. 21.바카라
Kia is considered a strong contender for the title again this year. It is evaluated as an "absolute first place" in terms of objective performance. Rumors say that the solid starting rotation, bullpen, and well-organized lineup among the 10 teams are enough members to challenge for the presidential election for the second consecutive year.
Jang Hyun-sik, who played the role of setup man with five wins, four losses and a 3.94 ERA in 75 ⅓ innings last year, was transferred to the LG Twins as an FA, which caused bleeding in the team's must-win group. However, the team successfully secured Cho Sang-woo, the top right-handed bullpen in the league, through trade and secured a back door.
Yang Hyun-jong, the oldest member of the KIA pitching group, did not hide his expectations during the first U.S. spring camp, saying, "The key point of our team's mound this year is how much Cho Sang-woo will perform," adding, "I think Cho Sang-woo will serve as a support in the bullpen."
Other pitchers also had similar views. Jeong Jae-hoon, Kia's main pitching coach, also viewed the team closely. However, he mentioned another person's name as the key player for the 2025 season of the Kia bullpen.
Coach Jung Jae-hoon emphasized, "First of all, Cho Sang-woo and Choi Ji-min are key players on the bullpen side," adding, "If Choi Ji-min shows his appearance the year before last (2023 season), we expect the KIA bullpen to improve both quantitatively and qualitatively."
Choi, who was born in 2003, displayed his potential in the 2023 season, the second year after his debut. He displayed exceptional pitching in 58 games, 59 ⅓ innings, six wins, three losses, three saves, 12 holds, and an earned run average (ERA) of 2.12. His pitches that threatened batters with fastballs in the mid to late 140 kilometers per hour were impressive.
On top of that, Choi even showed off his capability as an "international pitcher" at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which he participated in during the 2023 season. In four games and four innings, he gave two hits, four strikeouts and no run, and displayed an "zero" ERA in his performance. He has become the No. 1 contributor to Korean baseball's winning the gold medal for the fourth consecutive Asian Games. He received special military service exemption, and expected to show better performance in the 2024 season.
However, Choi Ji-min experienced growth pain in the 2024 season. He slowed down to three wins, three losses and three saves with 12 holds and an earned run average of 5.09 in 56 games, 46 innings. Even considering the strong winds of riding and pitching in the entire league, both players and the team were not satisfied with the report card.
For this reason, Choi couldn't rejoice even though he became the "winning member" of the Korean Series last year. "I won the championship, but I wasn't the main member. I want to contribute a lot to Kia's win this year," Choi said, while practicing hard throughout the winter.
"I'm not thinking about other personal goals at all," Choi said. "I think it would be much better to win another championship this year following last year. I will do my best to help fill the void of Jang Hyun-sik, who left as an FA. If I throw hard, I think I can have an opportunity (to throw in the must-win group)."