Hyo-jong Kang (21) of the LG Twins finished his first appearance in the demonstration game without conceding a goal.
Kang Hyo-jong started as a starting pitcher in an exhibition game against the Samsung Lions held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 16th. On this day, he recorded 2 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts and no runs in 3 innings. He threw a mix of fastballs, sliders, curveballs, and changeups to block the Samsung batters. The total number of pitches was 52, and the maximum speed was 150 km.
Kang Hyo-jong, a native of Chungam High School, joined LG with the first nomination in 2021. His frequent appearances in high school put a question mark on his health, but LG chose Kang Hyo-jong without hesitation. Kang Hyo-jong, wearing a pinstripe uniform amid the expectations of the club, debuted in the first team last year and recorded an average ERA of 4.15 in 4 games, 4⅓ innings and 2 holds.
Director Yeom Gyeong-yeop, who took over the helm this year, also has high expectations for Kang Hyo-jong. Kang Hyo-jong predicted that he would grow into a starting pitcher in the future. As he corrected the octagon, he grew steeply. Director Yeom said, “It is similar to Min-cheol Jeong’s pitching form in the past. He also improved his release point a lot. In the Future Team, coach Kim Kyung-tae changed the angle of his arms, which had a tremendous effect,” said Hyo-jong Kang.
He continued, “The number of revolutions has also improved. The change of the ball also improved. They say that if you look at the numbers, it is a case where you can succeed unconditionally. It is said that there is a high probability of becoming a player in the tracking data. He also has a pitch that could be a future top 3 starter. The fastball, curve, and slider are all good,” he said, expressing anticipation for Kang Hyo-jong.
And Kang Hyo-jong proved his value in the demonstration game. Even if he puts out a runner, he does not concede. He gave up a hit to Ja-wook Koo in the first inning, but he didn’t allow it to come home. Episode 2 faced a big crisis. 메이저놀이터 After giving up a hit to Lee Jae-hyeon and a walk to Lee Byung-hun, first baseman Song Chan-eui made a mistake in catching Kim Jae-sang’s batted ball, putting the bases loaded with the second out. However, he finished the inning without conceding a run as the follow-up hitter, Kim Hyeon-joon, grounded the shortstop. Yang Hyo-jong, who continued to pitch in the 3rd inning, finished the mound by treating Samsung’s center line as a tripartite offense.
Kang Hyo-jong is also one of the LG 5 candidates. With Casey Kelly, Adam Plutko, Kim Yun-sik, and Lee Min-ho as the first to fourth starting pitchers, LG pitchers are competing for the last spot in the starting rotation. Kang Hyo-jong also appealed to coach Yeom with good pitching in the demonstration game.