*This content was translated by AI.
Hell's left-hander fireballer has finally come off the veil. Anthony Benigniano (29), the new foreign pitcher of SSG Landers, threw his first bullpen pitching. In this bullpen pitching, he pitched a total of 19 pitches, including fastballs, sliders, and changeups, checking his balance and pitching sense.
SSG said on the 28th, "New foreign pitcher Anthony Veniziano (born 1997), held his first bullpen pitching of the season at Vero Beach Camp in Florida on the 27th (local time)."
Earlier, SSG hired Beniziano for a total of $850,000 (annual salary of $750,000 and option of $100,000) as a new foreign pitcher to lead the mound in the 2026 season.
SSG recently suffered from measles. Foreign pitcher Drew Berhagen, who was recruited to fill Drew Anderson's vacancy, did not meet the club's standards as a result of a medical examination. In response, SSG chose one of the other candidates, Beniziano, as its replacement.
Beniziano, from New Jersey, USA, joined the Kansas City Royals in the 10th round of the major league rookie draft in 2019. He then made his big league debut in 2023. Until last year, he pitched in 40 games through the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, marking a 1.5-hold ERA (ERA) of 3.98 in 40 ⅔ innings.
Above all, he is well-known as a left-handed fireballer with an outstanding physique of 196 centimeters tall and 95 kilograms in weight. SSG said, "The maximum speed of the fastball is 155 kilometers per hour and the average speed is 150 kilometers. He uses various breaking balls such as sliders, changeups, and curves with high completeness. Based on the batter's timing-shaking deception and control, he has excellent ability to induce ground balls, and he also shows strength in suppressing long balls and striking out," he said, explaining why he recruited him.
After the announcement of the recruitment, SSG said about Beniziano, "He has been a player that our club has been interested in since 2023 and has been constantly observed in overseas scouting," adding, "In 2023, it was not easy to recruit, but negotiations were made through this proposal. Regarding the club's proposal, he said, "The player also judged the advance to Korea as a good opportunity, so the contract went relatively smoothly."
"We believe that there is no problem (with his physical condition) at this time. I've also completed a medical check. It was not good on record in the second half of last year, but the cause was investigated and it was determined that it was because of poor condition. "After the end of the season, we are back to 100% condition, and our club also sees this as a factor that can rebound next year," he explained.
On this day, Beniziano threw a total of 19 pitches, including fastballs, sliders, and changeups. As it was his first schedule, he threw the ball focusing on the pitch balance and the sensory inspection of breaking balls.
After pitching in the bullpen for the first time, Beniziano said through the SSG club, "I am satisfied with the pitching overall. Pitching with 60 to 70 percent power. I feel good because I threw a lot of strikes. It worked well with catcher Lee Ji-young, who worked together. I will prepare well so that I can play long innings during the regular season," he said.
Lee Ji-young, who worked with Beniziano for the first time, said, "I felt like I threw lightly because it was my first bullpen pitching, but I had strength. He seems to have a high release point and is good at various pitches such as slider, sweeper, and changeup. In particular, I think there will be a great strength for left-handed hitters," he said. Lee Ji-young, a 40-year-old veteran catcher, signed a multi-year contract with SSG for a two-year total of 500 million won ahead of this season.
Coach Kyung Heon-ho, who watched Beniziano's first bullpen pitching, said, "Veniziano has been doing well in a warm place. His ball power was good even though it was his first pitching. It's quite positive. As I steadily threw the ball in the mid-140km range on this day, I will use a more powerful ball if my body condition becomes 100% in the future."
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*This content was translated by AI.
