“I’m not always looking for the old days…” Gone are the days of the Kia mechanic, back is the 27-year-old set-up man

KIA right-hander Jeon Sang-hyun, 27, had a strong 2019 season with 15 saves in 57 games and a 2-2 record, 13 saves, and a 2.45 ERA in 47 games in 2020. He bounced between closer and setup man and was a centerpiece of the “box specialist” era, but after two years of throwing a lot of balls, he missed the 2021 season with shoulder pain.

Residual injuries, including an elbow issue, plagued Jeon in 2022, but he still managed to go 5-5, 2 saves, 16 holds, and a 3.30 ERA 메이저놀이터 in 50 games. It was a season that saw the resurgence of the closer tandem of Jeong Hae-young, Jang Hyun-sik, and Lee Jun-young.

In a way, the first two months of the season were the hardest for Jeon. He wasn’t sick, but his pitches weren’t as good as they had been in previous years. He had some ups and downs and couldn’t be counted on when it mattered. In 23 games, he had a record of 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA.

At the end of May, he was removed from the first team and given time to rebalance his pitches in the second team. He went 1-1 with a save and a 3.12 ERA in five Futures League games before returning to action last weekend for a three-game series at home against NC. After giving up one run on two hits with one walk and one strikeout in one inning on the 17th, he pitched a clean game on the 18th with one hit and two strikeouts in one inning.

Manager Kim Jong-kook said before the Gwangju NC game on the 18th, “I think Jeon Sang-hyun has recovered his command. His velocity is the same, his fastball is the same, and I hope he can do it consistently. His fastball is a little high, so I think it will be better if he throws it lower. He’s a good pitcher in terms of both ball movement and delivery. I need to stabilize my pitches and play in the must-win group again.”

Jeon’s biggest strength is his good extension. He extends his body in the direction of the batter and hits the ball with power. He has more power than speed. SBS Sports commentator Lee Soon-cheol explained that Jeon is protecting this strength while broadcasting the Gwangju NC last weekend.

Ahead of the game on the 18th, Jeon said, “I’ve been struggling a lot. There were many things that didn’t go my way. I’ve been suffering from injuries. I wanted to find my good form from 2019 and 2020, so I watched videos from those years and dug into myself, but it was rather confusing.”

He continued, “I saw it around me, too. It’s been a few years, and my body is different now than it was then, but I can’t just keep looking for the past. I just dug deep. I went to the second team and dropped a lot. I’m trying to find something in my form now. There are some things that didn’t go my way from camp to now, but I think I’ve gotten better after throwing two games in the second team. I gave myself some points in my first game back, but overall, my pitches and balance weren’t bad.”

His average fastball velocity over the last two games is 142.6 mph, according to baseball stats site Statiz. That’s not much different than last year, and it’s actually 토토체험머니 faster than the 2021 season. The feel of his pitches is even better. “I need to keep my extension longer and utilize my fastball,” said Jeon. Then I think I’ll find my old good feel,” he said.

In the second team, Jeon fit in naturally with the existing first-team pitching trio of Jung Hae-young, sidearm Kim Dae-yu, and Kim Ki-hoon. His teammates may know more about his good mechanics than he does. “Even in the sauna, we talked about baseball without even trying. We studied, shared, and talked about it.”

Closers Jung Hae-young and Kim Dae-yu have yet to return. Kim Ki-hoon and himself have returned to the first team. They will need to provide adequate support for the current pitching duo of Choi Ji-min, Jang Hyun-sik, Im Ki-young, and Lee Jun-young. It would be best if Jeon Sang-hyun also returns to the bullpen. Right-handers have been scarce in the KIA bullpen this season.