Kim Won-jung, the closer for the Lotte Giants, has perfectly adapted to the pitch clock regulations this season and showcased stable pitching. Last year, he recorded the most pitch clock violations in the league with 154 instances, but he showed a completely different form in the exhibition games, heightening fans' expectations.
On the 8th, in the exhibition game against the KIA Tigers at Sajik Stadium, Kim Won-jung came in to pitch in the top of the 9th inning, facing 3 batters without violating the pitch clock even once. Additionally, he induced 1 strikeout and 2 groundouts, securing the team's victory and recording a save. Unlike last year, the pitching preparation process has become much simpler, and unnecessary movements on the mound have disappeared.
Kim Won-jung continued his excellent pitching on the 11th against the LG Twins. In 0 and 2/3 innings, he induced 1 Samjin and a groundout, adding another save. As a result, Kim Won-jung achieved a perfect pitching performance with a 0.00 earned run average over two outings in exhibition games. Notably, he did not violate the pitch clock once, proving his thorough adaptation to the new regulations.
Kim Won-jung is a franchise star who has played for Lotte for 13 years. He has appeared in a total of 381 games, recording 39 wins, 49 losses, 132 saves, 4 holds, and an earned run average of 5.08. Since becoming the closer in 2020, his earned run average has dropped to 3.58, and he has become the first player to achieve over 100 saves exclusively for Lotte. Consequently, after gaining free agent status at the end of last season, Kim Won-jung re-signed with Lotte for a total of 5.4 billion won (guaranteed amount of 4.4 billion won, incentives of 1 billion won). In doing so, he trimmed his trademark long hair, which attracted attention.
Until last year, Kim Won-jung took a long time to prepare for his pitches, sometimes referred to as 'tap dancing' on the mound, but leading up to this season, he continued training to adjust his pitching tempo. As a result, he has become capable of faster and more efficient pitching, completely resolving the pitch clock issue.
The pitch clock, officially introduced this season, could impose a burden on pitchers, but Kim Won-jung has completely overcome this and is well-prepared to firmly protect Lotte's backline. Fans are excited to see if the stable pitching he demonstrated in the exhibition games can continue into the regular season.
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