A "Huge Hit": The Left-Hander Throwing 155 km/h Delivers a Save! Could He Become a Major Variable in the Korea Series?… Park Jin-man Also Says, "He Has Grown a Lot"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Samsung Lions' "left-handed fireballer" Bae Chan-seung (20) has rapidly emerged as a major variable in the Korea Series. Manager Park Jin-man (50), head coach of the Samsung Lions, also showered praise on the growth of the young star, which he said fully blossomed starting from the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held last September.

Samsung secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over KT Wiz in the second game of the 2026 KBO Korea Series, held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 4th, after an all-out battle that extended to the 12th inning. Having overcome their loss in the first game, they reset the series record to one win and one loss and are heading home to Daegu with a boost in morale. They have perfectly achieved their initial goal of securing one win and one loss on the road.

The one who put the final period on this day's tightly contested, high-quality pitching duel was none other than Bae Chan-seung. After starting pitchers Chris Fedak (Samsung) and Go Yeong-pyo (KT) both delivered excellent performances of seven innings with one run allowed, a fierce bullpen war ensued. The one who displayed the most overwhelming power was Bae Chan-seung, who threw fastballs up to 155 km/h. He shut down the razor-thin critical moments of the game to earn a valuable save.

For Samsung, whose core closer Kim Jae-yoon, who had earned the saves championship with 35 saves in the regular season, was sidelined by injury just before the fall baseball season, this was truly a priceless performance. With "Ace" Won Tae-in, who supported the bullpen through the playoffs and into the second game of the Korea Series, also needing to prepare for a starting appearance in either the fourth or fifth game, Bae Chan-seung's emergence to guard the back end is an exceptionally reassuring positive factor for Samsung.

In particular, Bae Chan-seung has only one career save in the regular season. The one he recorded against KIA on October 6 was his only save of his career. A 20-year-old young star with virtually no closer experience in the professional league managed to earn his first "fall save" on the Korea Series stage, where the greatest pressure weighs down players.

Manager Park Jin-man, who met with reporters after the game, also looked back on the bullpen's performance and mentioned Bae Chan-seung's name first. Manager Park immediately stated, "Bae Chan-seung has grown a lot. Since returning from the Asian Games, he has shown an incredibly stable form," revealing his satisfaction.

It is assessed that his control instability, which was previously pointed out as a weakness, has been perfectly mastered. Manager Park noted, "He had a tendency for his control to waver in the past, but he has definitely grown since the Asian Games. It seems that such a big experience has been a great help to him."

In short-term series where bench battles are fierce in every game, the value of a left-handed reliever with powerful command is absolute. Especially against KT, which boasts a top-tier left-handed lineup including Kim Hyun-soo, Choi Won-jun, and Sam Hilliard, Bae Chan-seung's presence is even more essential. Manager Park also expressed strong trust, saying, "It is absolutely impossible to hold up with just one left-handed reliever, Lee Seung-min," and "Bae Chan-seung is really doing a great job in his role."

Bae Chan-seung has proven his worth on the highest stage of the Korea Series by securing a save with his unstoppable 155 km/h fastball. The outstanding pitching of the left-handed young star, who is assessed to have taken a step up since September, has emerged as a powerful catalyst that will instantly lift the atmosphere for Samsung, which aims for an upset in the Korea Series.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original