*This content was translated by AI.
Although the KT Wiz are leading the 2026 KBO League, manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) is far from at ease. Beneath the outward appearance of first place lies a deep, realistic struggle with bullpen management that feels like walking on thin ice in every game.
Ahead of the Kiwoom Heroes game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 15th, manager Lee Kang-cheol met with reporters and candidly shared his concerns about the current state of the bullpen. While relieved by recent wins in close games, he coldly assessed the pitching staff's strength.
The manager remarked, "Honestly, if we look at this coldly, aside from Park Young-hyun, who else can you trust?" and added, "(Aside from Park Young-hyun) try picking someone to send out." This was a realistic admission that without closer Park Young-hyun, there are no reliable cards to safely hand over the late innings. As a former pitcher himself, he is even more critical of pitchers.
He also maintained a cold perspective on Sugimoto, who has been pitching well. "People around us praise him for throwing well, but to me, Sugimoto is the biggest question mark," the manager said. "He's not overpowering batters with velocity; instead, he's getting results through battle of wits and luck. I watch from the bench every inning with my heart in my throat."
In modern baseball where speed revolution is the trend, he also offered a self-deprecating evaluation of his team's velocity competitiveness. "If we pick the top 10 pitchers by ball speed in this league, not one of our players would make the list," the manager explained. "We are not a power-pitching team but rather a pitching staff with an old-school control style. In the end, we have no choice but to match them up carefully against batters and use them like puzzle pieces, one inning or one batter at a time."
While they are holding on by mobilizing all available resources such as Bae Je-seong and Woo Kyu-min while considering opponent batting orders and matchups, the lack of pitchers who can be relied upon means the manager's bench calculations must become increasingly complex in every game.
Adding to this, there is the variable of Asian Games roster selections for starting pitcher So Hyoung-jun, Oh Won-seok, closer Park Young-hyun, and others expected in mid-September. Manager Lee Kang-cheol added, "If a starter is pulled out, Bae Je-seong must move to the rotation. Ultimately, pitchers with good velocity will have to hold down the bullpen."
KT continues to fight for first place with an elite lineup and a solid starting rotation. However, as August passes and September brings the ranking race to its peak, the overload and stability issues of the bullpen could become a bomb at any moment. Manager Lee Kang-cheol's remark, "Aside from Park Young-hyun, who else is there?" is not mere bravado but a cold task that must be solved to maintain first place.
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*This content was translated by AI.
