Professional baseball player Song Young-jin (21) of the SSG Landers showcased impressive pitching in his season debut.

On the 26th, Song Young-jin made a starting appearance in a game against the Lotte Giants at Incheon SSG Landers Field in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League,' pitching 6⅓ innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 walk, striking out 6, and giving up 1 earned run.

After allowing a hit to lead-off batter Hwang Seong-bin in the first inning, Song Young-jin got Yoon Dong-hee out on a ground ball to third base, but the runner on first advanced to third, putting him in a 1 out, 3rd base crisis. However, Song Young-jin struck out Son Ho-young and also got Victor RAY out on a ground ball to shortstop, escaping the crisis without allowing a run.

After recording a three-up, three-down in the second inning, Song Young-jin struck out all three batters of the Lotte lineup consisting of Park Seung-wook, Jeong Bo-geun, and Hwang Seong-bin in the third inning, showcasing perfect pitching. In the fourth inning, he allowed a hit to lead-off batter Yoon Dong-hee but got Son Ho-young out on a fly ball to left field and induced RAY into a 6-4-3 double play, ending the inning.

With SSG leading 2-0 in the fifth inning with 1 out, Song Young-jin gave up a hit to Jeon Jun-woo and then allowed an infield hit on a ball hit by Jeon Min-jae. In a 1 out, 1st and 2nd base crisis, Song Young-jin gave up a 1-RBI hit to Jeong Bo-geun, allowing one run to be scored. However, Hwang Seong-bin got out on a ground ball to the pitcher, preventing the game-tying crisis.

In the sixth inning, Song Young-jin walked lead-off batter Yoon Dong-hee and quickly secured two outs by getting Son Ho-young out on a 4-6-3 double play. RAY was retired on a fly ball to left field. In the seventh inning, Song Young-jin returned to the mound, allowing a hit to lead-off batter Na Seung-yeop but induced Jeon Jun-woo into a ground ball to the pitcher, directly getting the lead runner out. With SSG leading 2-1 in the seventh inning with 1 out and 1 on, Song Young-jin handed the mound over to Lee Ro-woon and ended his outing. Lee Ro-woon induced Jeon Min-jae into a 5-4-3 double play, ending the inning without allowing a run. SSG won 3-1.

Recording 83 pitches, Song Young-jin utilized fastballs, sliders, curves, and forks. His fastest fastball reached a speed of 145 km/h, and the slider also clocked in at a rapid 141 km/h. His strike rate was recorded at 67.5%, demonstrating an aggressive approach against the batters.

After the game, Song Young-jin said, 'I’m glad I was able to nail down the first button on my first outing of the season. Since I’ve only pitched one game, I have to use today’s game as a stepping stone to pitch even better. The coach and the coaches told me not to worry about the innings and to focus on competing against each batter. I think pitching aggressively resulted in good outcomes.'

Having set a personal best for innings pitched in a single game on that day, Song Young-jin reflected, 'I was focused on the batters, so I wasn't thinking about the record. In the seventh inning, rather than feeling regret, I trusted my pitchers. Our bullpen is really good. So I was more expectant than regretful.' He continued, 'I’m thankful that Lee Ro-woon did well to hold it down. Since we're friends, I naturally trusted him. The inning ended so quickly that there was no time to talk. When I returned to the dugout, I just hugged him.'

Having competed for the fifth starting spot during spring camp, Song Young-jin was confirmed as the fourth starter due to foreign pitcher Mitch White's injury. On the 20th in a Futures League outing, he struggled with 3⅔ innings, allowing 5 hits (2 home runs), 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 4 earned runs, raising concerns, but he shed all worries with his performance in today’s game.

'The coach asked me to show a good performance and to show my confidence,' said Song Young-jin. 'In the second team, I pitched poorly, so the coach asked if my confidence had dropped. I told him no and promised I would definitely show it during the season. It came out well in today’s game, so I’m feeling good.'

'Now that I’ve pitched one game, I’m not satisfied,' emphasized Song Young-jin. 'My goal is to complete the required innings and to achieve 10 wins. I will enjoy today and reset my mind to prepare well starting tomorrow.'

[OSEN]