"Won Tae-in → Manning → Lee Ho-sung → Lee Ho-beom." Samsung's mound is devastated... "I'll be holding out" Seven billion FA have consoled

*This content was translated by AI.

"If I hold out well, one by one will come. I think I'll just have to hang in there."

Choi Won-tae (29) comforted the mound of the Samsung Lions, which was devastated by a series of injuries.

Choi Won-tae started in a practice game against the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Yomiuri Giants at Cellular Stadium in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on the 28th of last month and pitched three innings of three hits, two strikeouts and no runs.

Although the game was defeated 2-4, Choi Won-tae's pitching, which boldly pushed the fastball toward his body, was an income. On this day, Choi Won-tae's arrest reached 148 kilometers per hour. He threw a total of 44 pitches, including 21 fastball, 9 cutters, 7 changeups, 5 two-seam fastballs, and 2 curves.

Choi Won-tae, who met with reporters after the game, said, "I think the control of the fastball went well. The fastball restraint seems to be similar (to this time), but it doesn't mean much. He coolly evaluated his pitching, saying, "I had a good change-up, but I didn't have a good slider and curve sense."

"I think it's been a long time since I played a game with a prestigious Japanese club. I'm sure he makes a lot of foul balls because of his good contact. It felt like I wasn't stepping down easily. Still, I threw a strike because I didn't know."

Looking at what happened recently at Samsung, it is dizzying to the point that it would have been possible without Choi Won-tae. Samsung, which was mentioned as a favorite this year, is in a state of emergency a month before the opening of the season. The start was that native ace Won Tae-in (26) became uncertain due to elbow pain.

Shortly after, new foreign pitcher Matt Manning (28) was kicked out due to elbow ligament surgery, and even Young Guns left due to injury. On the 1st, Samsung announced that Lee Ho-sung (22) and first-round rookie Lee Ho-beom (19) should take two to three weeks off due to right elbow medial ligament surgery (Tommy John Surgery) and elbow inflammation, respectively.

On top of that, first starter Ariel Furado (30) also joined the Panama national team and participated in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), making it virtually difficult to see in exhibition games. Choi Won-tae was the only one left in Samsung's starting lineup.

But Choi Won-tae said, "I don't really care about that. I think I can hang in there well because I'm the type to go my way. Also, there is no guarantee that anyone will go out and win because they don't know baseball. Of course, there is pressure to win when I go out, but I will try my best. I don't have any other worries than that," he said emphatically.

Choi Won-tae, who signed a four-year FA contract worth a total of 7 billion won ahead of the 2025 season, was reborn as a hero last fall. His regular season record was average with 8 wins, 7 losses and an ERA of 4.92 in 27 games.

However, he took Samsung to the threshold of the Korean Series with eight strikeouts in six scoreless innings in the first round of the semi-playoff against SSG Landers and one run and four strikeouts in seven innings in the second round of the playoffs against the Hanwha Eagles. Although he collapsed with five runs (three earned) in three ⅓ innings in the final game, he was recognized by everyone as an autumn man. The final postseason record is 2.20 ERA with two wins and no losses in three games.

In response, Choi Won-tae said, "I think it's good to change the target while remembering well that I was the fastball control of the postseason last year," adding, "I originally threw the catcher's meat big, but it got better because I saw the dot and threw it." It seems that the probability of leaving the strike zone is less if you look at the dot and throw it. If you look at it big and throw it, it will go out even bigger."

This year, he was recommended by senior players such as Kim Jae-yoon and Lee Seung-hyun, and even became a pitching team leader. Although he is an introvert, he says he gets help from his younger siblings. Choi Won-tae said, "The older members helped me anyway, so I just deliver it. Even my younger siblings are not burdened at all and are only exercising because they make the atmosphere fun. Since I am definitely a leader, I think I should take better care of my juniors and older brothers. A lot of kids come to me, too," he said with a smile.

Despite the hardships at the start of the season, he rather expected the 2026 season. Choi Won-tae said, "I'm still in touch with Tae-in (Won). I believe he will come back healthy," he said. "I'm in my second year at Samsung and I think it's a really prestigious club. The atmosphere is so good, and I'm just grateful to the members for creating an atmosphere where only baseball can be played," he stressed.

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*This content was translated by AI.