Hong Jung-woo, 26, has had a remarkable rise.
Samsung Lions right-handed pitcher Hong Jung-woo is a Chungam High School alum who was drafted by Samsung in the 4th round, 35th overall, in 2015. After the 2015 season, he played two seasons (2016 and 2017) for the Police Baseball Organization to quickly fulfill his military obligations.
He then returned to Samsung and broke into the first team in the 2019 season. Gradually increasing his playing time, Hong finished last season with a 5-2 record with one save and a 3.04 ERA in 26 games, his best performance since his debut.
Before the start of spring training in Okinawa, Japan, he traveled with senior pitchers Woo Kyu-min and Lee Seung-hyun to get in shape. He quickly built up his body and prepared for the 2023 season more motivated than ever.
However, it was not easy. Hong Jung-woo, who was named to the opening roster, struggled in April with a 9.53 ERA in five games without a win or loss. He was eventually dropped from the first team roster on April 15 against the Lotte Giants.
After a strong performance in the Futures League, where he went 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA in 10 games and two saves, Hong was reinstated to the first team on April 17. Left-hander Lee Seung-hyun was removed from the first team roster due to back pain. Samsung manager Park Jin-man explained the call-up by saying, “Hong Jung-woo received a report from the Futures League that his body is fine.”
Since being called up, Hong has been in top form. In six games since his call-up, he has an ERA of 0. On the 25th, he gave up one run against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil, but it was recorded as an unearned run. Since then, he hasn’t allowed a run except for the one unearned run.
On May 19, he got his first hold of the season against the Changwon NC Dinos, and on May 3, he got his first win of the season against the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles. Not at all like the beginning of the season
His fastball has power. He struck out Lee Jin-young, the last batter he faced the day before, with four straight pitches. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, but it’s heavy. Has a variety of changeups.스포츠토토
After a rough start to the season, Samsung’s bullpen has gradually found its footing. The duo of Lee Seung-hyun and Kim Tae-hoon, a trade acquisition, are coming into their own. Oh Seung-hwan has also made a resurgence and is one save away from reaching 500 saves in his Korean-American career. Hong Jung-woo has also been revitalizing the Samsung bullpen with his recent success in winning situations.
Hong is establishing himself as the new closer to Park Jin-man-ho.