*This content was translated by AI.
It is nothing short of a miracle. A new guardian has emerged for the KIA Tigers. '158km/h left-handed fireballer' Lee Ui-ri (24) is showing a truly transformative performance.
Lee Ui-ri has appeared in 19 games this season, recording 2 wins, 6 losses, 2 saves, and 1 hold with an ERA of 7.58. Over a total of 46⅓ innings, he allowed 47 hits (including 8 home runs), issued 37 walks, recorded 49 strikeouts, and surrendered 39 runs (all earned). His WHIP stands at 1.81, and his batting average against is 0.266.
Most importantly, in the second half of the season, he has been reborn as an entirely different pitcher.
In the first half, Lee Ui-ri appeared in 10 games, posting a record of 1 win and 6 losses with an ERA of 9.42. Over 35⅓ innings, he allowed 41 hits (including 8 home runs), issued 33 walks, was hit by one pitch, recorded 39 strikeouts, surrendered 37 runs (all earned), and posted a batting average against of 0.295. Given his poor first-half performance, it was natural that he could not make the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games national team roster.
However, in the second half, Lee Ui-ri has appeared in 9 games, going 1 win and 0 losses with 2 saves and 1 hold, posting an ERA of 1.64 while delivering strong performances in every game. Over 11 innings, he allowed just 6 hits, issued 4 walks, was hit by one pitch, recorded 10 strikeouts, and surrendered only 2 runs (both earned), with a batting average against of 0.158. He has not allowed a single home run.
On the 15th against the Doosan Bears, he pitched one scoreless inning, allowing just one hit and recording one strikeout. Notably, in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, his seventh pitch to Kim Daehan was clocked at an impressive 158 km/h.
Continuing on the 16th against Doosan, he entered in the bottom of the ninth while his team held a one-run lead (2-1) and threw a perfect inning. He struck out leading batter Jung Soobin with a fifth-pitch swing-and-miss, induced a groundout to the pitcher from Park Jun-soon on the fourth pitch, and got Ahn Jae-seok to hit a grounder to second base on the third pitch, securing the save. Lee Ui-ri continues to deliver powerful pitching by mixing his fastball with sliders and forkballs.
Lee Ui-ri underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John surgery) in June 2024 and appeared in only 10 games last season, going 1 win and 4 losses with an ERA of 7.94. His slump continued into this season. Ultimately, to allow for rest and recovery, he was removed from the first-division roster from May 17 to the 26th — a ten-day period spent recovering. He returned on May 29 against the LG Twins but struggled again, allowing four hits (including one home run), issuing four walks, recording one strikeout, and surrendering six runs (all earned) over two innings.
KIA manager Lee Beom-ho, the team's commander, understood Lee Ui-ri's importance better than anyone. With foreign pitchers James Nail and Adam Oller forming a one-two punch, and alongside 'the heart of the Tigers' Yang Hyeon-jong, having Lee Ui-ri find his form as the fourth starter was considered the ideal scenario. Meanwhile, Hwang Dong-ha and Kim Tae-hyung were holding down the fifth starter role. However, Lee Ui-ri ultimately failed to capitalize on the numerous opportunities he received and was again removed from the first-division roster on May 30.
After that, he headed to Japan. In June, he underwent special training at NEXT BASE ATHLETES LAB in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He trained alongside Kim Si-hoon, Kang Hyo-jong, and Hong Min-gyu. There, he made changes to his pitching motion — specifically, a double-kicking action. This involved pausing one additional time during the delivery, allowing him to generate more power in his pitch. This change turned out to be a divine move.
KIA has finished the season with 56 wins, 48 losses, and 2 ties, securing sole fourth place in the league. They trail third-place LG Twins by one game. This week, KIA will play a three-game series (away) against Hanwha Eagles during the week, followed by a three-game series (away) against Kiwoom Heroes over the weekend. With the addition of a reliable closer, what kind of performance can KIA deliver for the remainder of the season? Expectations among KIA fans are growing even higher.
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*This content was translated by AI.
