It is no exaggeration to say that the key player of SSG Landers this season is left-handed pitcher Oh Won-seok. The fourth full-time player in the first division, who is well suited to the term "unfinished waiting," is already in his fourth year as a full-time player in the first division. He has constantly been given the opportunity to start the game, but has never had a 10-win season. He has won seven games in the 2021 season, six in the 2022 season, and eight in the 2023 season. Still, it was regrettable that he did not show good performance every time. His physical strength declined sharply after the beginning and middle of the season. 토토사이트
However, Oh Won-seok, the No. 1 left-hander who he always envies from a manager's point of view, was able to receive consistent opportunities. He managed to secure a starting position by competing with Moon Seung-won and Park Jong-hoon last year, but his ERA of 5.23 was the result of overcoming the required innings for the second consecutive year.
Oh is highly likely to join the starting lineup this season as well. Currently, three SSG players are confirmed including Roenis Elias, Robert Duggar and Kim Kwang-hyun, and chances are high that Park Jong-hoon and Oh Won-seok will fill the remaining two spots. Moon started with the bullpen from the beginning of this camp.
It cannot be overemphasized that Oh Won-seok's role is important several times. The possibilities, potentials, and regrets he has shown. This is why manager Lee Sung-yong and pitcher coach Bae Young-soo are also focusing on Oh Won-seok and watching the preparation process. If Oh Won-seok is sluggish again this year, then he should operate Plan B and Plan C to give other starting pitchers a chance. Because that's fair.
Kim Kwang-hyun, the "role model" and senior player of his team, also had a personal training session with Oh Won-seok in January this year following last year. He took Oh and other junior pitchers to Okinawa, Japan, for training abroad. Kim Kwang-hyun provided the entire amount of money for his stay. Rumors say he paid more than 500,000 won (422 U.S. dollars) a day for food alone. "You eat a lot. You have to do well. You have to do a good job. I think you are preparing well," said Kim Kwang-hyun, who watched Oh Won-seok from the sidelines. "I think my visit to the APBC national team last year helped me a lot. I'm not sure whether I will do well or not this year, but the ball has definitely improved. It's definitely better than last year."
Oh took the mound at a practice match against the Lions in Tainan, Taiwan, on Feb. 28, and recorded two scoreless innings. It was his first real game. The maximum speed came out to 147 kilometers. "I think I'm doing well at this point. The ball is strong, but I think I need to pay more attention to my control," Oh said. "I'm preparing for it by paying attention to the high balls ordered by my coaches or the winning points on my body."
I know that maybe this year will be my last chance. The world of professionals is cold, so opportunities are not guaranteed forever. Now, you have to prove yourself with more than one level of performance. If Oh Won-seok explodes properly, SSG may exceed its target performance with a solid starting rotation. If the opposite result comes out, the team's performance will also be unstable.
Oh Won-seok also resolutely said, "I think I have to do really well now," and said, "I looked at how Japanese left-handed pitchers throw in APBC and felt that I was still not good enough."
"Since Kwanghyun took care of me a lot and worked out together, I learned a lot and I was able to build my body well. There are a lot of things I'm really grateful for, but I want to do better in baseball and show Kwanghyun a good performance," he said.