Look at Samsung's new foreign pitcher's mentality! "ABS is a system that makes it fair, so it's positive." I threw it without any energy, up to 149km

*This content was translated by AI.

Samsung Lions' new foreign pitcher Matt Manning (28) is raising fans' expectations with the scent of a "special foreigner." It's not just good pitching. The attitude toward ABS (automatic pitching judgment system), a new variable in the KBO league, is already said to be a "completed mental." He started preparing for the season smoothly by even pitching his third bullpen.

According to the Samsung club, Manning threw a total of 52 pitches in his third bullpen pitching on the 5th. The purpose of this pitching was not to throw all-out pitches, but to "check physical condition" and "balance."

However, the end of the lightly thrown ball was fierce. Manning hit a maximum speed of 149km despite pitching only 75-80% of his condition. Among field officials, expectations are high that "if the restraint is raised in earnest, it will be okay up to the mid-150km range."

After pitching, Manning said, "I'm satisfied. Today, I made sure to make the best use of my body by increasing the number of balls, he said. "Now, rather than throwing hard, I am at the stage of balancing and studying what kind of ball combination I will take for each count."

Manning also responded surprisingly coolly to ABS (automatic ball determination system), which is the biggest adaptation task to join the KBO league. He said, "I'm not worried at all. I'm used to it because it's a system I've already experienced in the United States," he said. Rather, "ABS makes the game fair. Even if you throw a real pitch sometimes, you can be judged if you stick to the zone in the system, so there are many positive aspects to the pitcher," he said, first praising the advantages of the system. This is the highlight of the "Ace-class mentality" that puts adaptation and utilization first rather than complaining about unfamiliar environments.

It's his first spring camp, but Manning has already melted into Samsung's atmosphere. "I'm very comfortable that my colleagues smiled and greeted me before I approached you first," he said with a smile, and did not forget his bold ambition for his fans.

Finally, Manning said, "The biggest goal is to play the starting rotation healthy without injury," adding, "I want to put everything I have on the mound to help the team win the championship. I will show you a great pitch in front of Korean fans," he said, clenching his fist.

Manning signed a contract with Samsung in December last year. It is a condition that guarantees an annual salary of $1 million. "He is a right-handed overshoot type pitcher with a physique of 198 centimeters and 88 kilograms in weight," the Samsung team said at the time of the recruitment announcement. It is evaluated that he has excellent pitching with an average speed of 152km in four-seam fastballs and has various pitches such as sweeper, curve, splitter, and slider. He is also a pitcher who has been mentioned as a priority recruitment target for KBO league and Japanese professional baseball (NPB) clubs in recent years."

Manning is actually a top prospect in the major leagues. Manning, who wore a Detroit uniform as the ninth overall in the first round of the 2016 MLB Rookie Draft, was highly anticipated to receive a down payment of $3.5 million (about 5.1 billion won) alone. He made his major league debut in the 2021 season, five years after joining the team. He is a promising Detroit player, but after four seasons, he changed to a Philadelphia uniform through a trade in July last year. He started all 50 major league games and posted an 11-15 record with a 4.43 ERA. Eventually, he will challenge himself on the Korean stage for a stable opportunity.

Samsung's mound plan for the 2026 season is also going smoothly with the overwhelming ball and mature attitude shown by the new engine Manning of the "Lion Corps."

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*This content was translated by AI.