'Last year's strongest pitching staff plummeted to last place,' Manager Lee Sung-yong sighs, announcing bullpen overhaul: "Noh Gyeong-eun will be used in more favorable situations; Lee Geon-wook will be deployed in higher leverage" [Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

The formidable presence of the bullpen from last year has vanished like a mirage. As the starting rotation faltered, even the once-powerful bullpen could not hold on. SSG Landers is making changes to its bullpen.

Ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against Hanwha Eagles held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 26th, Manager Lee Sung-yong met with reporters and said, "Starting today, we plan to use (Noh) Gyeong-eun in slightly more favorable situations," adding, "His velocity hasn't fully recovered yet. We will bring him up in situations where we are trailing by 1 to 3 runs, and we will deploy (Lee) Geon-wook in slightly higher leverage situations."

Last year, closer Jo Byung-hyun recorded 30 saves, setup man Noh Gyeong-eun earned the highest hold title for the second consecutive year (35 holds), Lee Run recorded 33 holds, and Kim Min recorded 22 holds, resulting in a bullpen ERA of 3.36, the strongest in the league. This was the driving force that allowed the team to finish third despite a weak lineup.

However, this season SSG has fallen to last place with a team ERA of 5.72. The bullpen ERA is also 5.45, ranking 9th. Lee Run has been sent to the minor league, and all of last year's reliable relievers except Jo Byung-hyun have struggled. While Moon Seong-won and Lee Geon-wook have provided significant support, the situation remains difficult.

The manager identified the problem within the starting rotation. Ahead of the season, Kim Kwang-hyun underwent surgery, and rookie Kim Min-jun, selected in the first round, also departed, widening the gaps. Shota Takeda's struggles were prolonged, and first starter Mitch White's injury became chronic, leading to his replacement by Thomas Hatch. Anthony Venegas also gave up 6 runs in 4⅔ innings in the previous day's game, indicating that the starting rotation remains unstable.

The SSG starting rotation has pitched 339⅔ innings, the lowest among the 10th teams. Quality starts (6+ innings with 3 or fewer earned runs) totaled 9, trailing behind top performers like Ariel Jurado of Samsung (12) who leads this category.

Since the starting rotation cannot improve rapidly, the team intends to make changes to the bullpen to utilize it more efficiently.

Seo Jin-yong was also registered today. The manager explained, "He has consistently received positive reports from the minor league. He has been preparing diligently, throwing up to 144 km/h. Since we promised to give opportunities to players who perform well and work hard in the minor league, I don't think we are excluding him just because he is a veteran. I judged that we must give him a chance commensurate with his hard work, so I brought him up."

Lee Run, who has struggled and was sent to the minor league, will become eligible for registration with the first team starting from the 28th. Having made relief appearances in two Futures League games and pitched steadily, he is expected to be registered immediately.

SSG lined up the batting order as follows: Jeong Jun-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Choi Jeong (designated hitter), Guillermo Heredia (left fielder), Oh Tae-gon (first baseman), Kim Sung-wook (right fielder), Go Myeong-jun (third baseman), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), and Jo Hyung-woo (catcher). Thomas Hatch will start on the mound.

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*This content was translated by AI.