'Olver→Visli→Hurado' Ace Appears, Cheon Seong-ho 'Again' Takes Over as LG's Leadoff Hitter! Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop Directly Apologizes: "I'm Sorry, But..." [Jamsil On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

With the arrival of a foreign ace, the LG Twins are once again starting Cheon Seong-ho (29). Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) personally conveyed his apologies regarding this decision.

On the 25th, LG revealed its starting lineup for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game against the Samsung Lions at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

For this game, LG constructed its batting order as follows: Cheon Seong-ho (third baseman), Park Hae-min (center fielder), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Song Chan-ui (right fielder), Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop), Moon Sung-ju (left fielder), Lee Ju-heon (catcher), and Shin Min-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Lee Jeong-yong.

The most notable aspect is Cheon Seong-ho's appearance as the leadoff hitter. Cheon Seong-ho has recorded a batting average of 0.284 (50 hits in 176 at-bats) in 63 games this season, with one home run, 21 RBIs, 28 runs scored, and five stolen bases. His on-base percentage stands at 0.340 and his slugging percentage at 0.381. While his batting average over the last 10 games has been strong at 0.429 (6 hits in 14 at-bats), his number of at-bats remains low.

This is due to matchups against opposing pitchers. It is common to deploy a player in a platoon system based on positional matchups or past struggles against specific pitchers. However, Cheon Seong-ho is somewhat special. The pitcher he faces today is Ariel Hurado, the foreign ace of the Samsung Lions. Hurado is a top-tier pitcher who has achieved 10 wins for three consecutive years in the KBO, with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in 14 games and an ERA of 2.86.

In his previous start, he faced Adam Olver, the ace of the KIA Tigers. Olver, in his second year in the KBO, has a record of 8 wins and 5 losses in 15 games with an ERA of 2.51, making him a right-handed ace attracting interest from Major League (ML) teams.

Meanwhile, in the game before that, he faced Jeremy Visli, the hard-throwing ace of the Lotte Giants. Visli has a record of 4 wins and 4 losses in 14 games this season with an ERA of 4.50. While his statistics are not outstanding, he is a pitcher who consistently throws fastballs reaching speeds of up to 157 km/h.

Because he is only started when an ace pitcher is on the mound, his batting average, which once reached.350, has now dropped to.280. It is the manager who personally conveyed his apologies regarding this situation. On the 25th, before the game, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop told reporters, "(Cheon) Seong-ho is always put in unfavorable situations, while (Moon) Jung-bin is always put in favorable situations," emphasizing his point.

He continued, "(Cheon) Seong-ho has many tools that allow him to hit well, including changeups and breaking balls. I believe it is natural if Seong-ho fails. We use him because we think he will help the team, but I feel sorry for him."

There was a reason. Although Cheon Seong-ho is not a home run hitter, he is renowned for his fast bat speed and excellent contact ability. In the Futures League, he recorded seasons with a batting average above 0.350 twice, and his career batting average reaches 0.315, making him unbeatable in the minor leagues. He also performed strongly against Hurado, recording three hits in six at-bats, including one double.

That is why he is being sent out. Manager Yeom stated, "I believe (Cheon) Seong-ho is definitely growing as he faces difficult pitchers. Moreover, if we put (Moon) Jung-bin in, he will obviously keep failing, and he cannot grow. In terms of player development, I do not believe that giving vague opportunities at any time is a good experience."

He further emphasized, "For Seong-ho right now, it is either a foreign pitcher or a senior pitcher. When each team in our league sends out their ace-level pitchers, we match Seong-ho against them because he has reached a level where he can compete. Seong-ho may lack power, but he is a hitter with enough competitiveness in batting to rival (Song) Chan-ui. Additionally, he is a hitter who can consistently hit doubles and triples, so I believe this will be a significant opportunity for him to grow to the next level."

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*This content was translated by AI.