It was a great 5 innings”.
Hanwha Young Gun Nam Ji-min (22) started as a starting pitcher in the 2022 season. He appeared in 20 of 22 games as a starter. Although he had a poor record of 2-11 and an earned run average of 6.37, he gained valuable experience in his career. He competed for starting in the 2023 season, but his position was in the bullpen.
Head coach Carlos Subero formed a starting lineup of five players, including Birch Smith, Felix Pena, Kim Min-woo, Jang Min-jae and Moon Dong-ju. Nam Ji-min received a call-up to the first team on the second day of the opening and made his first appearance on the 8th. He went to relief with SSG in the 10th inning, but became a losing pitcher with 3 hits and 2 runs (1 earned).
Nam Ji-min came out that day as a substitute for Smith. Smith, who was recruited for $1 million, received high expectations as the first starter, but went down with shoulder pain after 2⅔ innings in the opening game against Kiwoom. Nam Ji-min, who had selection experience last year and is strong in KIA, was chosen.
On the 11th, against KIA in Gwangju, he started again as a starting pitcher and made a surprise pitch. He thought about 50 or 60 pitches and 4 innings. However, he pitched 5 innings with 55 pitches, giving up 3 hits, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. He laid the foundation for a 5-4 victory and led the way to a third straight win. Manager Subero praised it, saying, “It was a beautiful and great five innings.”
The rescue value was high. He had a fastball of 152km at the highest and 148km on average. The angle of the slider was sharply bent, and the curve was also effective in stealing the batter’s timing. Only one fork was thrown. As a stable player, he took the lead in the fight against batters.
The timing of Smith’s return is still unknown. He’s not on the fast track to rehab. Therefore, Nam Ji-min’s good fight was a great harvest in that he obtained a new alternative. He created an opportunity for himself to become a starting pitcher next time as well.
Nam Ji-min said, “Since there weren’t many planned pitches, I prepared for the game with the mindset that I would do my best with one hitter and one hitter rather than looking at long innings, but I feel good because that part went well.”
In particular, he was inspired by the slider’s evolution.메이저놀이터 He said, “I am changing the slider while discussing it from the camp to the demonstration game, and I feel confident because it feels like it is being established.” He showed confidence that he could use it as a special move.
He also showed a strong will for the season. “Last year’s experience as a starting pitcher is very helpful. Rather than looking at this season for a long time, I want to achieve good results through pitching one game at a time. I am confident, and I am also looking forward to good results.”
