LG Twins relief pitcher Jang Hyun-sik has erased last year's slump by continuing five consecutive scoreless outings. He is now a trusted sure-win card.
Jang Hyun-sik appeared as a relief pitcher in the game against NC Dinos held at Changwon NC Park on the 7th, recording 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 strikeout and no runs allowed. LG won 2-0, and Jang Hyun-sik earned a hold.
Jang Hyun-sik took the mound in the seventh inning with a 2-0 lead. He struck out the first batter, Choi Jeong-won, swinging at a 149 km/h fastball, his fastest pitch of the day. He got two strikes on Kim Joo-won with a slider and a forkball, then allowed a third-pitch opposite-field single.
There were no major problems. He retired Shin Jae-in with a center-field flyout and Park Min-woo with a left-field flyout to end the inning. LG finished the game with Woo Kang-hoon pitching the eighth and Yoo Young-chan the ninth.
Jang Hyun-sik has had a good start this season. He has appeared in five games, recording four holds and a 0.00 earned run average. He is tied for first in holds with his junior teammate Woo Kang-hoon. The detailed stats are good too: 5 innings, 3 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, a WHIP of 0.80 and a batting average against of .176. He is showing the FA expectations LG met by signing him to a fully guaranteed 5.2 billion won contract.
LG acquired Jang Hyun-sik on a four-year, 5.2 billion won FA contract after the 2024 season. Closer Yoo Young-chan had elbow surgery, and because there was no sure bullpen option, LG became the winner in the bidding with a dramatic contract.
But last year's performance was disappointing: 56 games (49 2/3 innings), 3 wins, 3 losses, 10 saves, 5 holds and a 4.35 ERA. He was especially poor in September, posting a 27.00 ERA in six games, and he spent time regrouping in the second team. Ahead of the Korean Series, his velocity did not come up during training camp, and in the Korean Series he appeared once as a middle reliever, posting a 13.50 ERA: 2/3 innings, 2 hits, 1 hit by pitch or walk, 1 strikeout and 2 runs allowed (1 earned).
At the start of this season Jang Hyun-sik said, "Last year is last year, and this year is this year, so focusing on doing well this year seems most important. My goal is to stay healthy and finish the season." He suffered an ankle injury at spring camp in February last year and a latissimus dorsi injury in May. Those two injuries likely had lingering effects.
About last year's slump he said, "In the end my fastball was a bit weak. I am definitely in a somewhat more confident state than last year." He is showing it with early-season results.
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