Will Lotte Giants pitcher Chung Hyun-soo be able to cleanse his humiliation in his second career first-team appearance.
Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung mentioned pitcher Chung Hyeon-soo ahead of the second showdown of the weekend’s three consecutive games against the Kiwoom Heroes of the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 22nd. Chung will start the final game of the three consecutive games against Kiwoom on the 23rd.
As Han Hyun-hee, who changed his position from bullpen to starting pitcher, is in a slump, Lotte is trying to use him as a relief pitcher to strengthen its bullpen. Naturally, there is a vacancy in the starting lineup, and the team plans to fill the vacancy with rookie Jung Hyun-soo. “Jung Hyun-soo has come up (to fill the vacancy). I will try to use him. He has continued to throw as a starting pitcher in the Futures League,” Kim said.
After graduating from Songwon University, Chung was drafted by the Lotte Giants as the 13th overall pick in the second round of the “2024 KBO League Rookie Draft.” He has been pitching in 17 games (five starts) with two wins, two losses and five holds, and an ERA of 3.47 in 36 ⅓ innings. He has gained experience as a starting pitcher since mid-April.
Chung had played in the first team. He called up the first team for the first time in his career against the Sajik Samsung Lions on April 10. He pitched against the Sajik Samsung Lions on April 11, a day later, but threw four balls against Kim Jae-sang that were far out of the strike zone, sending a runner on a straight walk. He was replaced by Jung immediately and went down the mound, and was erased from the first team. It was a pitch that received a lot of expectations, but failed to meet the expectations. 안전놀이터
“When I first joined the team, I didn’t see anything. Compared to what I saw and heard, my ball speed and what I saw. The Futures League has continued to post good reports. You may be nervous as you join the first team, but you have to overcome that to become a first team player. If you use it as a relief pitcher, you have no time to relax. I will try to use it as a starting pitcher to see what he will look like,” Kim said. Chung will likely be used in the future based on his appearance in the Test on Sunday.
Chung drew attention when he appeared on the baseball entertainment program “The Greatest Baseball.” He grew up receiving rave reviews from the “Yashin” manager Kim Sung-keun, and made an impact with his outstanding potential, even winning professional membership. Hwang Young-mook (Hanwha Eagles), Won Seong-jun, Ko Young-woo (hereinafter Kiwoom), Yoon Joon-ho (Doosan Bears), and Ryu Hyun-in (KT Wiz), who are former players of the strongest baseball league, are receiving more attention by joining professionals in the highest order among them.
Chung’s performance is important for both the team Lotte and the individual. Lotte has been troubled by the lack of left-handed pitchers in recent years. Ahead of this season, the team is focusing its efforts on reinforcing left-handed pitchers by acquiring veteran left-handed pitcher Jin Hae-soo from the LG Twins in a trade. If rookie Jung Hyun-soo shows promise, it can be a great boost to Lotte’s mound.
Will Chung, who joined the team with high expectations, be able to survive in his first career start? At the same time, will he be able to dispel regret from his first professional appearance.
