"I can throw 200 innings."
KIA Tigers' new foreign right-handed pitcher Adam Aller (30) made a bold innings-eater promise after completing his first practice match in the camp. He declared he would throw 200 innings. This is what all managers expect from foreign pitchers. He accurately understands the intent of the managers, who want them to complete full-time innings without injuries.
Aller made his debut on the 25th in a practice game against Hanwha Eagles at Okinawa Kin BASS Baseball Stadium. He entered the KBO League as an active big leaguer with a salary of $1 million. Following James Neils and Yang Hyun-jong, he appeared as the third pitcher and managed to retire Cha Eun-sung with a flyout to right field, Ahn Chi-hong with a groundout to shortstop, and Kwon Kwang-min with a Samjin strikeout, completing the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, he also retired batters with a groundout to shortstop, a strikeout, and a flyout to right.
It was a clean two innings of perfect pitching. He threw 21 pitches, using his fastball, which reached up to 153 km/h, and his key pitches, a curve and a slider. Despite not being at 100% command, he delivered powerful pitches. True to being a foreign player, his fastball power was outstanding, while the curve as his main pitch was thrown against left-handed batters, and the slider was thrown against right-handed batters.
Aller said, "I actually faced opposing batters for the first time, and it was exciting and fun to pitch. (I threw the slider) because it was a good hitter with good cut ability. I use my curve a lot initially to get ahead in the count against left-handed batters. The slider is a pitch I use after throwing a fastball inside to right-handed batters."
He particularly liked the KBO approved ball. "It’s small and the seams are large. The surface is also sticky, which seems good for increasing the spin rate when throwing breaking balls. Overall, I like it," he evaluated. Compared to Major League Baseball's approved ball, the seams are larger and more pronounced, significantly aiding in throwing breaking balls. This means the angles of the curve and slider become sharper.
Despite being young and having the possibility of returning to Major League Baseball, he chose to come to Korea. There was a clear reason. "I wanted to pitch in the Asian league. The past three years, I have been shuttling between Major and minor leagues, and I got tired. I wanted a guarantee of consistent playing time, so I chose the KBO League. Last year, my performance in the big leagues did not peak. I came here wanting to improve more in the KBO League," he expressed his desire to return to the big leagues.
The highlight of the interview was his ambition for innings. "In the U.S., the trend is for starters to pitch 5 innings, but I often played the role of an innings-eater up to the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. In college, I ranked 2nd or 3rd in innings pitched in a season. I'm confident in my innings. I know the manager's expectations well. If my body is fine, I need to take responsibility for pitching 6 or 7 innings. I will do it with responsibility. I can throw 200 innings. That means making money," he said with a smile, expressing confidence.
Among foreign pitchers in history, only Hector Noesi, who led the championship in 2017 with 20 wins, achieved 200 innings. If a starter pitches full-time, they would pitch about 30 games. To exceed 200 innings, one must average over 6 innings per game. Given his extensive starting experience in both major and minor leagues, it does not sound like a boast. His eagerness to return to the big leagues may also prove he has that confidence. Hopes are rising from Aller's perfect debut.