The list of baseball teams to participate in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which will be held one year later in the aftermath of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19), will be announced on the 9th. KIA is more likely to be responsible for the ‘speed’ of the national team’s left-handed mound.
National team coach Ryu Joong-il and Chairman Cho Bum-hyeon of the Power Reinforcement Committee will announce the 24 players who will participate in the Asian Games at the KBO Hall in Dogok-dong at 2:00 pm on the 9th. It is known that it was not easy to determine the national team list due to various variables until the tournament to be held three months later. However, it is said that the current skills and international competitiveness were thoroughly examined. First of all, it is known that players who have performed well this season have been given priority.메이저사이트
Among the 24 players, pitchers and fielders account for half each. In the case of the pitcher, it is known that he reflected the lessons learned at the time of the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, which ended in failure. At the time of the WBC, if the best starting pitchers in the league were selected first and their positions were divided in the bullpen, it is expected that more professional bullpen agents will be on board this time.
If so, the name of Choi Ji-min (20‧KIA) can come to mind first in the left-handed bullpen. Choi Ji-min is not only a player on the reserve list for this Asian game, but also a left-handed bullpen who is performing the most outstandingly throughout the league. He continues to run as his speed, which was in the early 140km per hour last year no matter how hard he threw it, has improved significantly this year.
As of the 8th, Choi Ji-min, who entered the opening entry after confirming his rapid growth, is recording an average ERA of 1.63 with 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 save and 3 holds, throwing 27⅔ innings in 23 games of the season as of the 8th. He doesn’t have many holds or saves, but he confirmed that his powerful pitches can be used on the spot. His batting average this year is 0.194 and his on-base per inning (WHIP) is only 0.98. The content of the game also has a sense of stability.
As his maximum velocity approached 150 km, the athlete also found confidence, and that confidence is leading to good grades. His fastball and slider combo are bombarding the strike zone sharply. It does not discriminate between left and right batters. This year, the batting average against left-handed batters is 0.191, and against right-handed batters, it is 0.196. He can throw more than one inning, and his strength in high-leverage situations has also been confirmed. The batting average with runners this year is also stable at 0.200.
▲ There is a problem with the walk, but Lee Eui-ri’s pitch has a charm that cannot be ignored ⓒKIA Tigers
▲ Choi Ji-min does not discriminate between left and right batters, and has the advantage of being able to play multiple innings ⓒKIA Tigers
Eui-ri Lee (21) is said to have confirmed the boarding in the left-handed starting lineup. Although he struggled with a lot of walks at the beginning of the season, he is gradually finding stability. It is known that the general idea of the members of the Power Reinforcement Committee is that there are basically no selection resources with this level of ability.
Eui-ri Lee started 11 games this season and threw 49⅓ innings, recording 5 wins and 3 losses with an ERA of 2.55. Although walks are a problem, his pitch itself is so powerful that his batting average is only 0.185. There are also eyes that pay attention to the possibility that it will continue to improve in the future. His strong strikeout ability has already been proven at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although he had ups and downs, he cannot ignore the experience of participating in two international competitions. If it’s the same value, it’s the card you can pick up first.
The two players boast the fastest velocity among the national team’s left-handers and bullpen players. Among the pitches tallied by ‘Trackman’ this year, Eui-ri Lee’s highest speed reached 153.4 km per hour, and Ji-min Choi also recorded 150.1 km. The national team confirmed that faster velocity is a global trend at the WBC. Both players have sufficient competitiveness in speed. If selected for the Asian Games, it would be a point to check whether the two players’ pitches can work on the international stage.