"I'm a confident pitcher." LG's winning contractor was also hurt by three walks per game

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins foreign pitcher Anders Tolhurst aimed to reduce the number of walks ahead of his first full-time season.

Tolhurst said through the club at the 2026 LG Spring Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA on the 11th (Korea Standard Time), "I was disappointed that there were some walks last year. I'm a pitcher who is confident in my control. The goal this year is to reduce the number of walks more," he said with emphasis.

Tolhurst, who joined as an alternative foreign player in August last year, is considered the last puzzle to win LG's fourth integrated championship with 6 wins, 2 losses, a 2.86 ERA, and 44 innings of 17 walks and 45 strikeouts. The number of walks per nine innings was 3.27, which means that he gave up only three walks per game, but Tolhurst was not satisfied with this.

His performance in the Korean Series made sense. Tolhurst started the Korean Series as the first starter and became the winning pitcher with two walks and 12 strikeouts in two games and 13 innings. LG fans called him a winning contractor for his amazing performance in a short time. In recognition of his achievements, he also renewed his contract for a total of $1.2 million ($200,000 down payment, $800,000 in annual salary, $200,000 in incentives).

Tolhurst said, "I didn't even know there was a nickname for a winning contractor. As a starting pitcher and a foreign pitcher, I just tried to believe in myself under any circumstances with responsibility," he said. "The Korean Series was more exciting than nervous. The coach told me to take the mound in the first game in advance, so I was mentally prepared."

As he came in as a substitute, this is his first spring camp at LG. Tolhurst said, "We've already had time together last year, so there's no problem with adapting at all. "My teammates helped me a lot, so I was able to melt it more easily," he said. "Personally, I come out a little early, go to a sauna before training, and I'm keeping a routine of warming up enough by stretching. After that, I have a lot of conversations with the training part and coaching staff while receiving treatment or massage," he added.

On this day, Tolhurst pitched a bullpen session. He threw a total of 26 pitches, including 11 fastballs, 6 curves, 5 forks, and 4 cutters, and his maximum fastball speed was up to 148 kilometers per hour. LG pitching coach Kim Kwang-sam said, "Today's pitching was a session focused on the completeness of the breaking ball. The overall tracking figures were formed at an ideal level. In particular, the vertical and horizontal movements of the fork ball recorded the most ideal value, confirming it as the most complete type of pitch."

The installation of fork balls, also classified as splitters, has become a divine move. "When I played as an intermediate pitcher for Toronto in the 2024 season, the coaching staff advised me that the splitter could be a good weapon for me," Tolhurst said. "I felt more necessity as I changed my position to the starting pitcher for the 2025 season. I kept trying to raise my senses when pitching and catching bullpens. Such practice helped increase the level of completion," he said.

This season's goal was to win the championship as well. LG, which won the combined championship last year, aimed to win its second consecutive title. Tolhurst said, "The goal is to play the season without injury. Trying to maintain the routine and aggressive pitching style I brought before. He also said, "We plan to pay more attention to recovery management because the number of innings increases if we play the full season as a starter." He said, "I'm trying to help the team win the Korean Series. "I can't wait to meet LG fans in Jamsil and feel their passionate support," he said with a smile.

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*This content was translated by AI.