*This content was translated by AI.
Like a horse advancing at breakneck speed, SSG Landers' five year-old brothers, born in 2002, are preparing for the New Year with vigor.
Closer Cho Byung-hyun, catcher Cho Hyung-woo, left-hander Kim Gun-woo and big gun Ko Myung-joon, and starting candidate Jeon Young-joon are waiting for the new season to make 2026 their year.
The age is the same, but there is a difference in the timing of joining. Kim Gun-woo is the last first-round pick of the SK Wyverns (SSG predecessor) in 2021, Cho Hyung-woo was chosen in the second round at the time, Ko Myung-joon in the second round, and Cho Byung-hyun in the third round, and Jeon Young-joon will wear the SSG uniform in the second round of the following year.
It is similar that he did not stand out from the first season. As we endured difficult times together, we became closer by encouraging each other, sometimes flogging, celebrating birthdays, and teasing each other. And it also motivated each other.
So one by one, he began to blossom his talents. After completing the 2021 season, Cho Byung-hyun applied to the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu) early and completed his mandatory military service, and after being discharged from the military, he turned into a key bullpen for the team in 2024, flying to 4 wins, 6 losses, 12 saves, 12 holds, and an ERA of 3.58.
Last year, it became the league's representative closure. He played 67 ⅓ in 69 games with 5 wins, 4 losses, 30 saves, and ERA 1.60, and will be on the first camp list ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, moving to Saipan on the 9th for training for the national team.
Ko Myung-joon also flew up this year. He showed a batting average of 0.278 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs in 130 games and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.739, but he hit three home runs in four games in fall baseball, making him look forward to next year.
Cho Hyung-woo has established himself as the next-generation master of SSG. He could have felt pressure by picking catcher Lee Yul-ye as a first-rounder last year, but he wore a catcher mask for 696 ⅓ innings in 102 games. He also ranked third among 10 catchers who played more than 600 innings with 28.2 percent of stolen bases. Perhaps because it was his first time as a main catcher, his batting performance was somewhat disappointing with 0.238 four home runs, 29 RBIs and an OPS of 0.606, but he became widely known enough to play in the K-baseball series after the end of the season.
Kim Gun-woo is also a more anticipated player next year. After playing until 2021 and 2022, but failing to stand out, he settled his mandatory military service early on at Sangmu and returned ahead of last season, where he was selected as one of the starting candidates. In 35 games, he played between starting and bullpen, and played 66 innings, recording 5 wins, 4 losses, 2 holds, and ERA 3.82.
His performance at the end of the season and in autumn baseball was very impressive. Kim Gun-woo, who won two games in September by taking charge of more than five innings, also showed off his strength to strike out seven in three ⅓ in the semi-playoff, and played with Cho Hyung-woo and Cho Byung-hyun in the K-baseball series in November last year.
The fact that each other is supporting each other also becomes a driving force for faster growth. Manager Lee Soo-yong also said, "I think the same age players are close to each other," but it became even more special ahead of the autumn baseball season. Cho Byung-hyun and Kim Gun-woo threw and Cho Hyung-woo received it, and Ko Myung-joon defended at first base to increase the outcount.
Earlier, Cho Byung-hyun expressed hope that "I hope all of my colleagues will become better players than now." Ko Myung-joon, who met in autumn baseball, explained, "We support each other a lot, and when we can't be one, several people stick together and support each other."
In addition, Jeon Young-joon is expected to grow this year. Jeon Young-joon, who had been to Sangmu early, was a little disappointed with his 1 win, 5 losses and ERA 4.61 in 34 games last year, but he is expected to compete for the last spot in SSG's starting rotation this season. With two foreign pitchers, Kim Kwang-hyun and Kim Gun-woo expected to take one spot each, Jeon Young-joon is expected to compete fiercely with Choi Min-joon, Song Young-jin and Moon Seung-won from the spring camp.
The fact that the performance of those born in 2002 is important is meaningful in that a new SSG can be created ahead of the 2028 Cheongadom era. If they can lead the team on behalf of Kim Kwang-hyun and Choi Jung, the pillars of Tuta, it is expected that SSG's concerns about the Cheongram era will certainly be reduced.
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*This content was translated by AI.
