Professional baseball Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung believes in Na Gyu-an (27) once again. It is his third opportunity in two years. Now, it is up to Na Gyu-an to prove himself and give back.

The fierce competition for the fifth starter on the Lotte team seems to be tipping in favor of Na Gyu-an. During spring camp, Park Jin (26) earned the camp MVP with his growth, while Park Jun-woo (20) also made significant progress. However, despite the young pitchers' growth, manager Kim Tae-hyung intends to primarily give Na Gyu-an the opportunity for the fifth starter.

Ahead of the opening game against the KIA Tigers on the 8th, manager Kim Tae-hyung said, "We have decided to go with Na Gyu-an for the fifth starter for now. Among the competitors, he has experience, and he has been well prepared. So, we decided to initially give Na Gyu-an the fifth starter role."

Still, Na Gyu-an cannot be at ease yet. This is because the growth of players like Park Jin and Park Jun-woo is evident. If Na Gyu-an does not show stability in the exhibition games, opportunities may return to Park Jin and Park Jun-woo. Manager Kim Tae-hyung is also watching the situation. Although he told Na Gyu-an, "For now, you are the fifth starter," Na Gyu-an, undeterred, pledged, "I will be the fifth starter until the end of the season." Na Gyu-an struggled last year with 26 games played, 73 innings pitched, 4 wins, 7 losses, and an earned run average of 8.51. A major prospect as a catcher, Na Gyu-an faced challenges while quickly transitioning to a pitcher. In 2022, he established his presence as a pitcher, and in 2023, he took off as a starting pitcher. He also won a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, receiving a military service exemption.

However, last year, Na Gyu-an tripped himself up. Manager Kim Tae-hyung had already given him three opportunities last year, but the results were disappointing. First, during spring camp, a personal controversy erupted. This created a chaotic atmosphere within the team during the spring camp period. Nevertheless, manager Kim Tae-hyung assigned Na Gyu-an the fourth starter position.

Na Gyu-an could not seize the first opportunity given by manager Kim Tae-hyung. He was evaluated as a stable pitcher but struggled to maintain control. He made 11 appearances by May, but his earned run average was stuck at 8.27. He was demoted to the second team. Without time for reorganization, he was called up again in mid-June due to injuries among the first-team pitchers. Manager Kim Tae-hyung gave Na Gyu-an a second chance. However, he squandered this opportunity as well. On June 25, it became known that he had been drinking until after midnight before his scheduled start against KIA at Sajik Stadium. Although the team was aware, they could not change the starting pitcher, and the result was disastrous: 1⅔ innings, 7 hits allowed (1 home run), 6 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 8 earned runs.

The team held a disciplinary committee and imposed a 30-game suspension and 40 hours of community service for damage to personal image and neglect in preparing for games as a professional player. Such a severe penalty for a personal matter is rare.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung gave Na Gyu-an another opportunity in the first team after he completed all disciplinary measures. In his return match on the 1st against Doosan, he showed a pitching performance of 2 innings, 1 hit allowed, and 4 strikeouts for the win in relief. After that, his performance was inconsistent. He improved compared to before, but he ended the 2024 season without any dramatic turnaround.

Na Gyu-an had received three chances last year alone, and this is his fourth opportunity this year. He understands how valuable this opportunity is and aims to stay vigilant. He said, "I need to show a good performance during the exhibition games so that I can pitch well for the team during the regular season. I think I need to do better to provide a sense of stability to the fans." The results of the spring camp practice games were not great. Manager Kim Tae-hyung praised Na Gyu-an’s readiness, but the results did not match the effort he put in. Na Gyu-an explained, "The results did not follow the preparation I had made. I was shaken psychologically, and the coach, Seung-min, and Won-jung spoke to me a lot. Talking both before and after the games, and regularly, has helped a lot, and I am trying to talk more now."

Regarding the competition for the fifth starter against young pitchers like Park Jin and Park Jun-woo, he stated, "It provided motivation, but I did not feel overly conscious. If I become overly conscious, I might over-exert myself and get injured. I sought a lot of advice from the older players on how they navigated such processes. This helped clarify my thoughts gradually."

In the offseason, he paid his own way to Fukuoka, Japan, to seek learning opportunities. He said, "I had a connection with coach Kim Mu-young, who had played in Japanese professional baseball, so I asked for help. I wanted to learn in Japan and trained at a training center near Fukuoka through an introduction from coach Kim Mu-young. Coach Kim Mu-young’s pitches were the same as mine, so I learned a lot about how he pitched, game plans, and thinking on the mound. The center also helped me understand pitching mechanics from an anatomical perspective."

Last year’s downfall made Na Gyu-an more desperate than ever. He recounted, "Rather than desperation, I thought I needed to find a breakthrough. Fortunately, an opportunity came up." He added, "I tried everything I could during the offseason. While trying various methods to get fit, I naturally lost about 6 to 7 kg."

Few pitchers in the current Lotte pitching staff possess as versatile skills as Na Gyu-an. Whether as a starter or reliever, he has left good memories fulfilling his role. He is a pitcher with both stuff and precision. However, personal issues clipped his wings. Yet, manager Kim Tae-hyung is willing to give Na Gyu-an another chance. Now, Na Gyu-an has no choice but to prove himself with his performance and results, rather than words.

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