'Where will the manager and general manager go?' Lotte is already preparing for 2027, with first-division members heading to the U.S.! Eight players dispatched, including Jeon Min-jae and Go Seung-min

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

It is not yet certain who will lead the 2027 Lotte Giants. However, the clock on player development has already started ticking toward next season. The team is sending its core players and promising prospects to the United States to begin preparations for the 2027 season.

Lotte announced on the 16th that it will dispatch players to Drive LINE and Tread Athletics in the U.S. for three weeks, from the upcoming 18th through November 8.

Jeon Min-jae (27), Go Seung-min (26), Jung Dae-sun (22), and Lee Seo-jun (19) will participate at Drive LINE. Hong Min-gi (25), Lee Jun-seo (20), Kim Han-gyeol (20), and Kim Tae-gyun (20) will head to Tread Athletics.

Lotte completed its 2026 season schedule with the final regular-season game against the Doosan Bears on the 12th. After failing to advance to the postseason for three consecutive years since 2024, Manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) has fulfilled his entire three-year contract term and stated ahead of the season finale that "if I failed to produce results within three years, it is the manager's responsibility." The futures of the club's leadership, including General Manager Park Jun-hyeok, have not yet been fully settled.

Nevertheless, the overseas development program, which the club has recently focused on, is proceeding as scheduled. Drive LINE, where four position players are heading, quantifies batting mechanics and batted-ball results with data to specifically present current capabilities and directions for improvement.

Players who have already established themselves as first-division starters are no exception. Jeon Min-jae appeared in 140 games this season, recording a .278 batting average (131 hits in 472 at-bats), nine home runs, 70 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases while playing a full-time season as the starting shortstop. Go Seung-min also served as a pillar of the middle of the lineup with a .288 batting average (128 hits in 445 at-bats), 16 home runs, 75 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.814 across 112 games.

In particular, Jeon Min-jae is intensively working on his weaknesses overseas for the second consecutive year. Last year, he participated in the Nippon Professional Baseball Chiba Lotte Marines' fall camp alongside Han Tae-yang (23), receiving intensive defensive training. After directly experiencing the defensive balance, handling, and toss of Japanese players at the time, he solidified his position as the starting shortstop this season. Both players received a significant number of playing opportunities in the Lotte infield this year. Han Tae-yang appeared in 80 games, covering multiple positions including second base and third base.

This time, it is the bat. Jeon Min-jae stated, "Last year, with the club's support, I accompanied them to the Chiba Lotte fall camp and was able to receive systematic defensive training," adding, "This year, I will strive to grow in my batting through Drive LINE."

Tread Athletics, where the pitchers are heading, provides personalized programs by comprehensively analyzing physical capabilities, mobility, muscle strength, pitching mechanics, and training volume. A large number of young pitchers who showed potential this season are included. Rookie Lee Jun-seo displayed stability with an ERA of 1.64 and a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 0.91 across 12 games and 11 innings. Kim Han-gyeol, a 193-cm tall right-handed pitcher, pitched in nine games over 14 innings and even experienced an unexpected start.

Kim Tae-gyun also received a first-division starting opportunity late in the season and was evaluated by Manager Kim Tae-hyung as "having good stuff." Hong Min-gi, who has yet to fully unleash his potential, will seek a new breakthrough through this training.

The reason Lotte is actively investing in overseas training is that it has confirmed some effectiveness from previous cases. Jung Hyun-soo (25) and Lee Min-seok (23), who participated in the Chiba Lotte fall camp in 2024, showed growth in the first division the following year. Lee Min-seok, leveraging his fastballs reaching a top speed of 155 km/h, recorded his first career six-inning quality start and set a new personal record for most innings pitched with a scoreless 6⅔ innings against LG in July. Jung Hyun-soo also raised his competitiveness starting from the 2025 spring training and established himself as part of the first-division roster.

The team already has experience sending players to the U.S. Last August, Lotte dispatched Kim Gi-jun, Park Jun-woo, Jose Jin, and Kim Dong-hyun to Drive LINE, and this January, it had Park Jin and Lee Jin-ha undergo personalized pitching correction training at Tread Athletics. Jose Jin, who returned from Drive LINE, gained experience on the first-division stage this season.

Jose Jin said, "After my military discharge, going to Drive LINE was a time when I could comprehensively review my batting," adding, "Based on my first-division experience this season, I will prepare to show an even better performance next season."

Earlier this year, Han Dong-hee (27) and Son Seong-bin (24) also received batting training in Japan. Despite missing a significant number of games due to injury, Han Dong-hee recorded a .306 batting average, 25 home runs, and 81 RBIs in 109 games, recovering his power-hitting ability. Son Seong-bin also showed offensive growth, including recording his first career four-hit game during the season.

Since 2024, Lotte has continued exchanges with overseas clubs and sports science centers to strengthen its internal development system. The purpose is not simply to send players, but to have coaching staff and front-office employees accompany them to directly acquire local training methods and biomechanics know-how, accumulating this within the club's internal development system.

The dispatch to Drive LINE and Tread Athletics will not mark the end of overseas programs. In addition to this U.S. dispatch, Lotte plans to send additional players overseas this winter to provide growth opportunities.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original