*This content was translated by AI.
"At first, I thought, 'How would relief help as a starter?' But that wasn't the case."
What began as a desperate measure to change his role has now become a valuable asset in Son Ju-young's (28·LG Twins) baseball career. Having taken on the heavy responsibility of closer for the first time this season, Son Ju-young now feels confident he will become an even better pitcher when he returns to the starting rotation next year.
The game that showcased this confidence was the Changwon NC Dinos match on the 15th. In the bottom of the 8th inning with LG leading 3-2, one out, and a runner on first base, Son Ju-young replaced Woo Kang-hoon on the mound. It wasn't easy from the start. He allowed a single to Park Geon-woo into left-center field, putting him in a dangerous situation with one out and runners on first and third. A single would tie the game, and a extra-base hit could have given up the lead.
Son Ju-young remained steady. After a prolonged battle with Seo Ho-cheol, he recorded a strikeout. At the same time, catcher Lee Ju-heon immediately threw to third base, where Koo Bon-hyuk tagged off-taeyang, who had strayed far from the base. A play prepared in advance against NC's hit-and-run attempt succeeded, and the inning ended in an instant.
A bigger crisis came in the 9th. Consecutive hits by Cheon Jae-hwan and Kim Hyung-jun put runners on first and second with no outs. Again, a single could have endangered the one-run lead. Son Ju-young held firm once more. He induced Kwon Hee-dong to swing and miss at an inside slider for a strikeout, then got Shin Jae-in to hit into a 5-4-3 double play. Having survived two blown save opportunities, Son Ju-young pitched 1⅔ scoreless innings to record his 28th save of the season.
Meeting StarNews ahead of the Changwon NC game on the 16th, Son Ju-young reflected: "It was tough having runners on base in a one-run game. I thought I'd be coming in with a comfortable 3-0 lead, but the situation changed." He added, "If even one run scores, it's a blown save, so my tension rose significantly. My mindset was, 'I have to stop them. If I can't, I'll take full responsibility.'"
He now thinks like a true closer. The beginning was different. When LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) decided to switch Son Ju-young to the closer role, there were significant concerns. Closer Yoo Young-chan (29) was effectively out for the season due to right elbow surgery, and with no clear alternative found among the existing reliable relievers, this card was played. Moreover, Son Ju-young had been a left-handed starter in the rotation for two consecutive years, achieving 20 wins and earning the national team jersey. He had also recently returned from an injury to his inner thigh muscle just before the season began.
However, Son Ju-young quickly settled into the role. He started appearing in save situations beginning with the Jamsil Samsung Lions game on May 13, and from the Busan Lotte Giants game on May 27 through the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes game on July 2, he recorded 14 consecutive saves, entering the race for the saves champion.
The first major challenge arrived. From early July onward, he faced unstable pitching that consistently allowed runners to reach base. LG fell into an eight-game losing streak, dropping from first place to third. The person who felt the most responsibility was Son Ju-young. Through this period, he changed. He learned that simply throwing hard pitches is not enough to close games.
Son Ju-young said, "Closing is a role where one pitch can decide the outcome. As a rookie in this role, I probably wanted to throw more perfectly." He added, "In the early and middle parts of the season, there were many walks in tight situations. It didn't happen with 3- or 4-run leads, but it did with one-run leads. Ultimately, it was a psychological issue."
As the meaning of each pitch changed, so did his perspective on batters. Son Ju-young said, "In short moments, I think a lot about 'What should I throw?' and 'Since the batter reacted this way, what should I throw next?'" The biggest worry at the time of switching to closer was the future. He wondered if he could return to starting after spending the year in relief.
His thinking has now completely changed. Son Ju-young said, "Around mid-season, I worried whether I'd be able to perform properly as a starter next year doing this. But about a month ago, things started changing." He continued, "At first, I thought, 'How would relief experience help as a starter?' But looking back now, I think it will be very helpful. It will also help me in my future baseball career," he said with conviction.
As of the game on the 18th, Son Ju-young's stats were 39 games, 1 win, no losses, 28 saves, an ERA of 1.85, and 47 strikeouts in 43⅔ innings. He trails leader Kim Jae-yoon (36·Samsung Lions) by four saves in the saves category. However, he has a clearer goal than winning the saves title. Son Ju-young said with a smile, "My goal is to prevent blown saves regardless of the situation. Samsung is so strong that I think there's almost no chance of finishing second, but I'll still approach the remaining 16 games positively."
He added, "My personal goal is to get at least 30 saves. My original target was 20, but with my current pace, I thought achieving 30 would make it a perfect year. Once I reach 30, I want to accumulate as many as possible and also pitch at least 50 innings." After that comes returning to the starting rotation. Son Ju-young said, "If I close next year, I think I'll be able to show an upgraded version of myself."
Then he laughed, saying, "But next year, (the late) Woo Seok should handle it." After much deliberation, he took on the closer role and has now accumulated 28 saves. However, for Son Ju-young, the greater is experience—the lesson learned about the weight of a single pitch in one-run games with runners on base. This is why he is confident that Son Ju-young in 2027, when he returns to the starting mound, will not be the same as this year.
Of course, before that, he plans to fully enjoy autumn baseball as a closer. His friend Woo Seok, who recently returned, is a reliable teammate. When Son Ju-young was told that recent LG games already felt like autumn baseball, he joked, "I don't care much even if the weather gets too cool," but then expressed excitement: "It will be really fun to close in autumn baseball. It's just a bit disappointing that (the late) Woo Seok can't play with me, but I think we'll have a lot of fun."
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*This content was translated by AI.
