“After last year’s champions fell to fourth place, they finally…” Moon Bo-kyung, Son Ju-young, and Ko Woo-seok all show up for LG’s fall camp! The changes Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop had foreshadowed have begun

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The LG Twins, who won the Korea Series (KS) last year, finished this season in fourth place. As Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) of LG, who accepted the disappointing result, has foreshadowed changes, key players have largely participated in the fall camp, marking the start of preparations for the 2027 season.

LG will hold its 2026 fall camp at the LG Champions Park in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, from the 25th to November 22.

A total of 44 players are participating in this fall camp, including 16 pitchers, 5 catchers, 15 infielders, and 8 outfielders. The schedule consists of three days of training followed by one day of rest. After checking in on the 25th, players will undergo medical tests to finalize their detailed training schedules.

What stands out is the caliber of the participating players. While fall camps typically focus on improving the skills of young players, this time key LG players such as Moon Bo-kyung (26), Shin Min-jae (30), Son Ju-young (28), and Ko Woo-seok (28) have largely made the list.

This does not appear to be unrelated to the disappointments LG experienced this year. LG reached the top of the Korea Series last year, achieving their fourth championship in franchise history. Although a back-to-back title was expected for the 2026 season, they settled for fourth place with a regular season record of 78 wins, 1 draw, and 65 losses (winning percentage 0.545). They defeated the Doosan Bears in the Wild Card playoff (WC), but were eliminated in the semi-playoffs after suffering three consecutive losses to the KIA Tigers.

In particular, they suffered a decisive defeat with a score of 1-13 in Game 3 of the semi-playoffs held at Jamsil on the 20th. They finished their last fall baseball game at the existing Jamsil Baseball Stadium without breaking their 10-game losing streak against KIA that had continued since the end of the regular season.

Manager Yeom foreshadowed changes. Immediately after being eliminated in the semi-playoffs, he expressed his intention to first change each player’s mindset and lead their growth through baseball supported by a desperate attitude and effort. Indeed, players who played significant roles in the first division are included in this camp.

A representative player is Moon Bo-kyung. In this year’s regular season, Moon Bo-kyung recorded a batting average of 0.258 (92 hits in 357 at-bats), 10 home runs, 60 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.744 in 108 games. He left room for improvement in the semi-playoffs as well, managing only a batting average of 0.200 (2 hits in 10 at-bats) in three games.

Shin Min-jae is also included on the participation list. Shin Min-jae, who recorded a batting average of 0.251 (100 hits in 399 at-bats) and 12 stolen bases in 138 regular season games this year, felt discomfort in his left hamstring during the WC against Doosan on the 14th. Since he also had difficulty making normal appearances in the semi-playoffs, it is expected that checking his physical condition through medical tests and recovery will be prioritized.

On the mound, the participation of Son Ju-young and Ko Woo-seok stands out. Son Ju-young transformed into a new closer amid the injury absence of regular closer Yoo Young-chan (29) this year. He recorded 1 win, 2 losses, 31 saves, and an ERA of 3.22 in 47 regular season games, ranking second in the saves category. However, he was excluded from the WC roster due to a neck injury at the end of the season. Although he returned for the semi-playoffs, he could not prevent the team’s elimination. He will check his physical condition and prepare for the next season through this fall camp.

Ko Woo-seok, who returned after completing his challenge in the United States, is also included on the list. Ko Woo-seok returned to LG at the end of this year’s season and contributed to the bullpen, but he could not participate in fall baseball due to issues with the player registration deadline for the postseason. This camp is an opportunity for him to fully integrate into the team ahead of the 2027 season.

In addition, pitchers such as Lee Woo-chan (34), Park Si-won (20), Woo Kang-hoon (24), Kim Jin-su (26), and Kim Young-woo (21) have made the list. In the position player lineup, players with extensive first division experience, including Koo Bon-hyuk (29), Moon Jung-bin (23), Moon Sung-ju (29), Song Chan-ui (27), and Lee Jae-won (27), are participating.

On the other hand, Park Dong-won (36) and Hong Chang-gi (33), who will acquire free agent (FA) status at the end of this year, were excluded from the list. Starting shortstop Oh Ji-hwan (36), who participated in the semi-playoffs while dealing with a medial collateral ligament injury in his left knee, is also not participating.

Investment for the future is also being pursued simultaneously. The 2027 rookies have been given the opportunity to improve their skills by training alongside key first division players from their first year of joining the team. Among them, Yoon Ye-seong (17), who was selected 10th overall in the first round of this year’s rookie draft, and Im Ho-yun (19) from the second round stand out. Yoon Ye-seong is a right-handed prospect who throws fastballs up to 157 km/h, while Im Ho-yun is also evaluated as possessing fast pitches up to 152 km/h and stable control. Pitchers Jo Beom-gyu (21) and Park Hyun-min (18), infielders Kim Geon (18), Lee Jung-ho (22), and Lee Dong-wook (18), catcher Jeon Yul-bin (18), and outfielder Lee Ha-ram (19) are also participating in the camp.

LG had already begun reorganizing its strength immediately after the season ended, including dispatching four pitchers—Kim Yun-sik (26), Jo Won-tae (23), Lee Sang-young (26), and Yang Woo-jin (19)—to Next Base Athletics Lab, a Japanese sports science facility. On the 22nd, they also decided not to renew contracts with 11 players, including pitcher Jang Si-hwan (39), proceeding with roster cleanup work.

It is expected that LG, which has returned from being champions to challengers, will show what changes it can make in this fall camp where key players and 2027 rookies are together.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original