[Official] 'The void left by Kim Gwang-sam's departure to Hanwha' — Will a former 21-hold closer fill it? LG, which finished in 4th place, simultaneously signs coaches Yoo Won-sang and Choi Seong-hoon

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Yoo Won-sang (40), who once led the LG Twins' high-leverage bullpen, has returned to his former team as a coach. Choi Seong-hoon (37), who spent many years as a left-handed relief pitcher for LG, has also joined the coaching staff. With Kim Gwang-sam (46), who guided LG's pitching staff through this year, departing for the Hanwha Eagles, LG is moving to rebuild its mound for the 2027 season by bringing in new leadership.

On the 10th, LG officially announced, "We have signed coaches Yoo Won-sang (40) and Choi Seong-hoon (37). The two joined the Futures team's closing camp currently underway at Sanyang Sports Park in Tongyeong, Gyeongnam Province. Their exact positions will be determined later."

This is the return of two men who once anchored the middle of the LG Twins' pitching rotation. Coach Yoo Won-sang graduated from Bukil High School and was a right-handed pitcher selected by the Hanwha Eagles with the first overall pick in the 2006 rookie draft. He received high expectations, signing for a contract bonus of 550 million won alone.

At Hanwha, he showed potential as a starting pitcher but failed to secure a consistent role as expected. The turning point was his transfer to LG in 2011. After changing uniforms via trade, he shifted from the rotation to the bullpen and unleashed his potential. In particular, in 2012, he pitched in 58 games over 74 innings, recording a 4-2 record with 3 saves, 21 holds, and an ERA of 2.19, becoming a key member of the high-leverage bullpen. Alongside closer Bong Jung-geun, he guarded LG's back end, establishing himself as one of the league's top setup men.

Despite injuries and slumps, he continued his playing career. Coach Yoo won a gold medal with the national team at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and transferred to the NC Dinos in 2018. In 2020, he made a successful comeback with the KT Wiz, pitching in 62 games with a 2-1 record, 2 saves, 9 holds, and an ERA of 3.80.

Coach Yoo Won-sang's career statistics in the KBO League, having played for Hanwha, LG, NC, and KT, are 467 games, a 35-53 record, 8 saves, 66 holds, and an ERA of 5.07. He has experience as both a starter and reliever, going through various stages including injuries, rehabilitation, and a comeback after being released.

Coach Choi Seong-hoon is also a familiar name to LG fans. Coach Choi graduated from Gadong Elementary School, Jamsin Middle School, Gyeonggi High School, and Kyung Hee University. A left-handed pitcher, he joined LG in the second round of the 2012 rookie draft with the 16th overall pick. He showed promise in his rookie year, pitching in 37 games with a 5-6 record, 2 holds, and an ERA of 4.42. Subsequently, he primarily served as a relief pitcher facing left-handed batters.

In particular, he bolstered the LG bullpen by recording a 1-1 record with 3 holds and an ERA of 2.43 in 46 games in 2021, and 6 holds with an ERA of 2.16 in 45 games in 2022. After playing for LG through the 2023 season, he transferred to the Samsung Lions and continued his playing career until 2025. His career statistics are 299 games, an 8-9 record, 2 saves, 26 holds, and an ERA of 4.14.

The addition of the two men draws attention in conjunction with LG's coaching staff restructuring. Although LG swept both the regular season and the Korea Series last year, it finished in 4th place this year with a record of 78 wins, 1 draw, and 65 losses (winning percentage .545). It defeated the Doosan Bears in the Wild Card Decider but suffered a three-game sweep by the KIA Tigers in the Junior Playoffs, ending its bid for back-to-back Korea Series titles.

The addition of the two men draws attention in conjunction with LG's coaching staff restructuring. Although LG swept both the regular season and the Korea Series last year, it finished in 4th place this year with a record of 78 wins, 1 draw, and 65 losses (winning percentage .545). It defeated the Doosan Bears in the Wild Card Decider but suffered a three-game sweep by the KIA Tigers in the Junior Playoffs, ending its bid for back-to-back Korea Series titles.

Changes also occurred in the pitching coaching staff after the season ended. Coach Kim Gwang-sam, who had been working as a coach with LG since 2017, transferred to Hanwha following Manager Ryu Ji-hyun. During his playing days, Coach Kim Gwang-sam played alongside Manager Ryu at LG, and they also worked together when Manager Ryu served as LG's manager from 2021 to 2022, with Kim serving as pitching coach.

He also assisted Manager Ryu as the national team's pitching coach at the WBC held in March this year. At LG, he served as the first-division pitching coach this year, helping young players like Woo Kang-hoon grow. Manager Yum also publicly praised Coach Kim Gwang-sam and Coach Choi Sang-deok for Woo Kang-hoon's performance last April. With Coach Kim Gwang-sam's transfer making changes in the pitching department inevitable, shifts were anticipated.

LG has been conducting a first-division closing camp at Icheon LG Champions Park since the 25th of last month, with 44 participants. Key players such as Moon Bo-kyung and Son Ju-young have joined in large numbers to review areas that need improvement.

Overseas training for pitching development is also being conducted concurrently. Young pitchers including Kim Yun-sik, Jo Won-tae, Lee Sang-young, and Yang Woo-jin were sent to Next Base, a Japanese sports science specialized training institution. Along with them, Choi Sang-deok, the Futures pitching director coach, accompanied them to learn data-based training methods. Three position players—Lee Ju-hun, Son Yong-jun, and Lee Young-bin—also participated in the closing camp of Japan's Chunichi Dragons.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original