19-year-old Bae Chan-seung, who tasted his first setback just two games into his professional debut. How did the head coach see his second game?
Samsung Lions head coach Park Jin-man met with reporters on the 28th before the first match of the season against the Doosan Bears in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Seoul's Jamsil Stadium and comforted Bae Chan-seung, who experienced the bitter taste of being a professional the day before.
Bae Chan-seung, who graduated from Daegu High School and was picked 3rd overall in the first round by Samsung in the 2025 rookie draft, struggled the day before against the Daegu NC Dinos, giving up 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 strikeout, and 1 earned run in 2/3 inning of relief pitching. This was just four days after he had a perfect debut, striking out 1 in 1 inning against the Daegu Kiwoom Heroes without allowing a run.
Bae Chan-seung took the mound in the top of the 6th with a 5-4 lead and struck out the leadoff hitter Kim Hwi-jip with a swinging strikeout, maintaining the momentum from his debut. However, soon after, he gave up consecutive hits to Cheon Jae-hwan and Kwon Hee-dong, and then walked Kim Joo-won, creating a bases-loaded crisis. Although he managed to get the former batting champion Son Ah-seob out on a fielder's choice at third base, he issued a painful game-tying walk to Matt Davidson. His long-standing fastball control wavered with four consecutive misses.
With the score tied at 5-5 in the top of the 6th with two outs and the bases loaded, Bae Chan-seung handed the baton to Lee Jae-hee and finished his second appearance since his debut. Fortunately, Lee Jae-hee managed to get Park Gun-woo to pop out to the left fielder, eliminating all three inherited runners.
Watching this, coach Park Jin-man noted, "He is young and still lacks experience. After the bloop hit, he seemed to get rattled," adding, "It was a game that served as a good stimulus. He has excellent stuff, so if he accumulates experience in future games, he will only get better."
Making his first away game at Jamsil, Bae Chan-seung is also on standby in the bullpen that day. Coach Park Jin-man looked at the 19-year-old prospect's chances of pitching again, saying, "Of course, it would depend on the pitch count, but I think he could come out again today."
Meanwhile, Samsung has set its starting lineup against Doosan's starter Cole Ervin as follows: Kim Ji-chan (center fielder), Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop), Koo Ja-wook (right fielder), Kang Min-ho (catcher), Lewin Diaz (first baseman), Park Byung-ho (designated hitter), Kim Young-woong (third baseman), Kim Heon-gon (right fielder), Ryu Ji-hyeok (second baseman). The starting pitcher is ace Ariel Hurado.
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