The result was somewhat disappointing, but it was a pitch that could be fully expected in the future. This is the story of Lee Yong-jun (NC Dinos) and Kang Hyo-jong (21, LG Twins), two right-handed pitchers born in 2002.
On the 18th, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, the first of three consecutive matches between NC and LG in the 2023 professional baseball KBO league was held. The result was a 6-4 victory for NC with Kim Joo-won’s final blow after a bloody battle that lasted until the 10th inning. With this, NC, which had three consecutive wins, recorded 10 wins and 5 losses, rising to the sole lead.
The match on this day also attracted a lot of attention as a starting matchup between right-handed young guns of the same age. Although it is still early in the season, Lee Yong-joon and Kang Hyo-jong, who have been increasing their presence this year, took the mound as starting pitchers for NC and LG, respectively.
Lee Yong-jun, who made his professional debut in 2021 and failed to win a win until last year, is showing a more mature pitching at the beginning of this season. On the 6th, he made a relief mound in the top of the 4th inning against the Doosan Bears and blocked 3.2 scoreless innings. On the 12th, in the home game against KT Wiz, he became a starting pitcher and achieved his first win in his debut with a good pitch of 5 innings and 1 run. Prior to this game, his performance was 1 win and 1.04 ERA.
Driven by momentum, Lee Yong-jun continued to pitch stably, receiving only one hit until the end of the second inning. Until then, Kim Hyun-soo was the only batter who went on base after hitting a heavy hit in the bottom of the first inning.
However, in the bottom of the third inning, Lee Yong-Jun faced the limit of lack of experience. The main cause of trouble was that he gave up a walk to lead hitter Seo Geon-chang after a game that went as far as 7 pitches. After Park Hae-min hit a double in the right field, and was driven to first and second base safely, he led follow-up hitter Hong Chang-ki to shortstop grounder, but in the meantime, he had to watch third base runner Seo Geon-chang step on home. In the 1st and 3rd base that continued, Moon Seong-joo was allowed a sacrifice fly to the left field and scored the second run.
Once shaken, Lee Yong-jun could hardly find stability. He dedicated a double to left field to Kim Hyun-soo and also gave up a walk to Austin Dean. Fortunately, Moon Bo-gyeong was treated as a strikeout, and there was no mishap that allowed additional runs, but the number of pitches was already too high. In the bottom of the 3rd inning alone, Lee Yong-jun threw 38 balls.
Lee Yong-joon, who was on the mound at the bottom of the 4th inning, found a sense of stability by turning all three batters to beating except for a walk to Park Dong-won, but the shaking at the end of the 3rd eventually caught up with his ankle. NC coach Kang In-kwon replaced him at the start of the bottom of the 5th inning. His final performance was 4 innings, 3 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts and 2 runs, and the number of pitches was 89 and the maximum velocity was 148 km.
Kang Hyo-jong also did not receive satisfactory grades. He, who had been collecting one win before the game on this day, suffered bad luck in the first inning and made his first run. He led Park Min-woo to a fly in left field, but he was hit by Han Seok-hyun and Park Gun-woo in a row and faced with one out and 1st and 2nd base. Afterwards, the follow-up hitter Son A-seop was induced to hit the second baseman with a straight hit, but in the process of second baseman Seo Gun-chang throwing to first base, the ball hit the shoulder of first base runner Park Gun-woo and bounced off, and third base runner Han Seok-hyun stepped home and scored the first run. Fortunately, it was recorded as a throwing error by the second baseman and did not lead to an earned run.
Afterwards, Kang Hyo-jong, who did not concede from the beginning of the 2nd to the beginning of the 4th inning and continued his good pitching, faced a crisis in the top of the 5th inning. After giving Tae-Hoon Do a walk, he induced Min-Woo Park to ground to the second baseman, but he walked again to Seok-Hyun Han.
Since the team was ahead 2-1, it was the moment when Kang Hyo-jong would have completed his victory with only two outcounts, but the high number of pitches of 86 made LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop rise from the bench right away. Pitcher Ham Deok-joo gave up a home to one runner in charge of Hyo-jong Kang, and Hyo-jong Kang’s performance that day was 4.1 innings, 3 hits, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts, 2 runs and 1 earned run. The maximum velocity of his fastball was measured at 147 km.
As such, the two pitchers failed to achieve the goal of extinguishing five innings, which was repeatedly emphasized by the commanders of both teams, and failed to reach the goal of victory. In particular, adjusting the number of pitches stemming from a lack of experience remains a task that must be addressed in the future.
However, experience is not something that happens all at once, but it is a factor that is naturally developed over the course of a season. This is why we pay more attention to the potential of those with fast balls, various breaking balls, and bold hearts rather than the shortcomings caused by lack of experience.
Also, for both players, this season is very important. This is because the Hangzhou Asian Games will be held in September.
Earlier this morning,바카라 at the Korea Baseball Hall in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Jo Gye-hyun, chairman of the Power Reinforcement Committee, who participated in the second meeting of the Power Reinforcement Committee to discuss the selection of representative players for the Asian Games, said after the meeting, “The Asian Games are under the age of 25 (players under the age of 25). He said, “The composition is in principle,” and “(Once the players selected) took a large range.” Both pitchers are 21 years old, so if they show good performances in the future, the opportunity to wear the Taegeuk mark is open.
Lee Yong-jun and Kang Hyo-jong accept the task of gaining more experience. Will they be able to grow to the point of being mentioned as candidates for the national team’s pitching by supplementing their weaknesses and maximizing their strengths in their future appearances? Baseball fans are paying a lot of attention.