*This content was translated by AI.
A pitcher with an ERA of 6.08 in the Futures League (second division) has posted an ERA of 1.17 in the first division. Lotte Giants right-handed pitcher Lee Jin-ha (22) explained this turnaround by saying, "I tried to pitch without feeling intimidated."
Lee Jin-ha graduated from Baeksong Elementary School (Ilsan Little League), Yeongnam Middle School, and Jangchung High School before being selected as the 13th overall pick in the second round of the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft by Lotte. He was discharged from the Army Sports Team (Sangmu) in December last year and has primarily appeared for Lotte when the team found itself on the defensive. This also happened during the match against Jamsil Doosan Bears on the 2nd. At that time, Lotte was trailing 0-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning with one out and bases loaded. Lee Jin-ha induced a double play from Park Jun-soon and returned to the mound in the seventh inning to pitch scoreless innings against the cleanup hitters.
Ahead of the match against Suwon KT Wiz on the 4th, Lee Jin-ha met with StarNews and stated, "I didn't expect my appearance to come this soon, so I did my best to prepare through image training on how to handle it. The result was good, but since I gave up well-hit balls due to errant pitches, I reviewed that aspect after the game."
Although the sample size may be small, Lee Jin-ha has been performing his role well. He currently holds a record of 1 win and no losses in six first-division games this year with an ERA of 1.17 over 7⅔ innings and four strikeouts. Kim Tae-hyung, Lotte's pitching coach, praised him during an interview on the 4th: "Jin-ha has been pitching well at his current level."
In fact, when he was first called up last month, such a result seemed hard to imagine. Lee Jin-ha, who was discharged from the Army Sports Team (Sangmu) in December last year, had a poor performance in the Futures League this season: 12 games with no wins, two losses, two holds, an ERA of 6.08 over 13⅓ innings, and eight strikeouts. Because of this, his call-up was seen as a temporary measure.
However, Lee Jin-ha's mindset upon returning to the first division after three years was different. He said, "Actually, my second-division performance wasn't that good, but the manager gave me a huge opportunity. To meet those expectations, I wanted to show that I can pitch confidently without being intimidated by the first-division veterans. I'm stepping onto the mound with a positive mindset of throwing my best instead of aiming for perfection."
He added with a smile, "I'm not overly concerned about the game situation. Every situation feels extremely important to me, and I cannot afford to treat any game lightly. I am truly giving it my all, and I feel like the best thing I can do is throw my pitches on the mound."
A promising prospect who was selected for the youth national team thanks to his high-dropping forkball and fastballs with high rotation during his time at Jangchung High School, he struggled to make a significant impact after joining the pros due to injuries.
Lee Jin-ha explained, "The pain has mostly gone away. My body is much healthier than when I was 20, and my confidence has grown significantly. Compared to when I joined the team, both my balance and pitching repertoire have changed. I came to the pros with a forkball but briefly switched to a changeup after joining. However, it didn't work well for me, so I'm back to throwing the forkball. Still, I haven't quite recaptured the feel I had in high school, so I'm practicing a lot."
Nevertheless, justifying the high expectations, Lee Jin-ha has consistently participated in Lotte's overseas training programs. This year alone, he traveled to Tread Athletic in the U.S. in January and Shikoku Island League Plus in Japan in May. At Tread Athletic, he learned about physical conditioning, routines, control stability, and breaking balls, while the Shikoku League served as a platform to apply those results in actual games.
Lee Jin-ha shared sincerely, "Honestly, I believe the club has invested heavily in me. I even visited Drive Line and training centers in Japan. Even after my discharge from the army, they continued to support me, which left me both surprised and deeply grateful. In the U.S., they helped me identify the right direction for my development. My routines were also established there, and I consistently applied the routines I learned at the Shikoku League. I had many valuable experiences, and the results were positive, so I am truly thankful to the club. Just as they have cared for me so much, I believe it is only natural that I strive to do better and work harder."
Since this year began, more players selected in the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft, including Lee Jin-ha, are gradually receiving opportunities. Lee Jin-ha is one of them. He said, "I hope all my teammates succeed. Although I returned from military service a bit earlier, I don't know how long it will take for good days to come, so I prepared by giving my best effort. That's why I always feel excited when called up to the first division. At the same time, if I fail to deliver results, returning to the second division is only natural. Rather than worrying about my teammates, I should focus on supporting them and doing what I need to do."
He continued, "When I was 20, I had many experiences of being unable to pitch in the first division and getting sent down. Those experiences have been very helpful. This year, even if I get sent down like before, I decided to pitch without any regrets. As a result, I'm gradually seeing positive outcomes, which is motivating me to work harder. Although I haven't pitched many innings yet, I try not to worry about that. What I need to do now is give my all in every game I appear in."
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
