“Who will fill the vacancy left by Kim Taek-hyung?”
For SSG Landers, left-handed pitcher Kim Taek-hyung, who played an active part in the closing and middle pitching of last season, joined the Sangmu baseball team. There were some ups and downs in Kim Taek-hyung’s performance, but the missing spot for one left-handed pitcher, Pil Seung-jo, with good pitches, felt particularly large. Looking at SSG’s 2023 season player composition메이저놀이터, there are many left-handed selection agents. But the bullpen is the opposite. There is a shortage of reliable left-handed bullpen pitchers.
Even ahead of this spring camp, coach Kim Won-hyung picked ‘finding a left-handed bullpen’ as his top priority. Right-handed bullpen pitchers, including Roh Kyung-eun and Seo Jin-yong, have some resources, but left-handed pitchers are especially lacking. Of course, the fact that the opportunity is open is enough motivation for the players. Candidate pitchers, including veteran Koh Hyo-jun, are sweating hard at the camp to make their mark. Manager Kim Won-hyung emphasized, “The important thing is who will fill the gap where Kim Taek-hyung is missing. I think these players, such as Koh Hyo-joon, Kim Tae-hoon, and Jeong Seong-gon, should be more determined.”
We are also looking forward to Lim Jun-seop, who was recruited after the end of the 2022 season. After the Korean Series ended, SSG recruited Lim Jun-seop, who had been released from the Hanwha Eagles, while planning a player plan for the next season. Lim Jun-seop, who played for Hanwha after going through the KIA Tigers, but whose opportunities for the first team have sharply decreased since the 2020 season, was looking for a new team and joined SSG after a test. It is an opportunity not to be missed by any player.
Manager Kim Won-hyeong said, “I thought Im Joon-seop was young, but he was older than I thought. But age has nothing to do with it. How many studies and efforts have the player himself tried so far? I just told him to come here and try to be comfortable. He said, “Do it first, do whatever you want. Looking at what you’re throwing from the bullpen now, you’re competitive enough.”
SSG recruited Noh Kyung-eun, who was on the brink of retirement last year, and made a ‘win-win’ with good results. The lack of left-handed bullpen, among them, is sure to be filled by someone. For SSG left-handed pitchers as well as Lim Jun-seop, this spring camp and practice matches are the best chances to preoccupy the opportunity.