Kim Tae-hyung: "There isn't a single reliever who can throw 145 km/h → We considered using Choi Jun-yong earlier, but..."

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) recently identified the bullpen as the reason for the team's slump, which has seen just two wins and eight losses in the last 10 games. He believes that the relievers' pitches are generally not reaching their full velocity.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung, speaking to reporters ahead of the SSG Landers game at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 16th, responded to a question about whether the team's poor performance was due to a lack of offensive production by saying, "It's the middle relievers." He continued, "Looking at our current bullpen, there isn't a single pitcher who can throw a ball faster than 145 km/h," expressing his frustration.

Given the increased value of fireballers in modern baseball, the absence of bullpen resources capable of overpowering opponents with heavy, fast pitches has become the team's Achilles' heel. Analysts note that the team is losing comebacks because it cannot intimidate opponents with fast pitches. In the LG game at Jamsil on the 14th, the team was tied 1-1 but ultimately lost after conceding an additional run.

Manager Kim also shared his candid thoughts on the usage of closer Choi Jun-yong. "We considered using Choi Jun-yong earlier in the game, but we judged it to be too much for now," he added.

Regarding Choi Jun-yong's current condition, he said, "It's not just that he's rotating roles in the bullpen; we decided it's not the right time. We tried to bring him in during critical moments based on the game situation, but we decided to leave him as is. When we win, we win no matter what; when we lose, we lose no matter what."

Currently, Lotte is struggling with a mismatch between its starting pitchers and its bullpen and offense. Ultimately, manager Kim Tae-hyung believes that both the overall offense and the bullpen need to regain their strength, raising curiosity about how he will overcome this crisis.

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*This content was translated by AI.