SSG Landers Choi Min-joon (25) has expressed his determination to challenge his first 20 holds since his debut.
Choi Min-joon left for Vero Beach, Florida, USA, where the spring camp will be held through Incheon International Airport on the 25th.
Choi Min-joon, who joined the SK Wyverns (currently SSG) in the second round (15th) of the 2018 rookie draft, failed to show any significant performance during his first three years. However, he showed promise by recording three wins, three losses and four holds with an ERA of 5.86 in 38 games (86 innings) in 2021, and started to emerge as a core resource for the bullpen in the first division.
Choi Min-joon, who played 51 games (68 ⅓ innings) in 2022 with 5 wins, 4 losses and 5 holds with a 3.95 ERA, was expected to play as a winning team last year, but he slowed down a little by recording 5 wins, 3 losses, 7 holds, 1 save, and an ERA of 4.20 in 53 games (60 innings). In the first half, he was good with 29 games (35 innings), 4 wins, 2 losses, 6 holds, 1 save, and an ERA of 3.09, but he failed to raise his pace after injury, recording only one win, 1 loss, and a 5.76 ERA in 24 games (25 innings) in the second half.
“As a result, I don’t think I took good care of myself,” Choi said, expressing regret, “I gained a lot of confidence because things went well in the beginning. However, I also realized that I couldn’t continue to do well while going through difficult situations afterwards. After receiving advice from many seniors, I feel that I have improved the situation one step further. “Baseball doesn’t all go the way you think. No matter how good you throw a ball, the result can be bad. I was advised not to dwell on the result. I am trying to focus on maintaining a good pace this year,” looking back on the past season.
SSG was disappointed by Young Guns’ performance in the bullpen last year. Noh Kyung-eun (30 hold) who turns 40 this year and Ko Hyo-joon (13 hold) who turns 41, respectively, ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Noh ranked second in the league’s hold, while Ko Hyo-joon also showed off his skills by playing in 73 games, more than half of 144 games during the regular season 꽁머니사이트.
“The key to this year’s camp is relaxation for senior players and motivation for young players. I have been a player until I was 41, but managing my physical strength and giving me rest will help me greatly in 144 games. I do not intend to artificially rest. I always try to match the direction that the players want by having conversations and communicating with them. I think these players deserve that level of respect,” Lee said, expressing his intention to proactively deploy young players this year. The plan is made only when young players perform well.
Choi Min-joon said, “I thought it was amazing. I feel energized when I throw more than 50 games, but the seniors constantly go out and throw at a better pace than me. I wonder how that can be done and it’s amazing. I also have a desire to do better. I’m trying to be more greedy this year.”
“This year, I will focus more on ball control than ball speed,” said Choi Min-joon. “Last year, I paid more attention to ball speed. This year, I am thinking about ways to achieve more precise ball control even if I lower my ball speed a little. I exercised a lot to build up my power last year, but this year, I exercised a lot with my bare body to improve mobility and enable me to use my body better,” he said in explaining the preparation process for this season.
“I want to hold more than 20 holds this year,” said Choi Min-joon, whose record was seven holds in a single individual season last year. “I want to finish with a mid-three-point ERA. I don’t know how the results will turn out, but I’ll do my best to keep these figures in mind.”