“He is our hidden card for the bullpen.” Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man said this about left-hander Baek Jeong-hyun.

Baek Jeong-hyun, who has transformed into a bullpen player this season, has appeared in 16 games as of July 1, recording 1 win, 2 holds, and an earned run average of 1.40. He has allowed only 3 walks over 19⅓ innings and struck out 21 Samjin.

Manager Park Jin-man said, “Since he changed positions from starter to bullpen and started throwing shorter pitches, he is fully exhibiting his performance.” He also remarked, “It seems that Baek Jeong-hyun is throwing at a top speed of 144 to 145 km/h, which is almost the first time I have seen it,” expressing his delight over his speed improvement.

When asked about the secret to his improved speed, Baek Jeong-hyun replied, “It seems that it came out as I threw. It wasn't intentional. I threw harder, and my balance also seems to be okay.” He continued, “If I throw like I did as a starter, my arm can't handle it. I have been preparing accordingly since the end of last year for the bullpen, and I am adapting well.”

Baek Jeong-hyun also mentioned, “I thought I would throw longer at times, but it seems I am appearing in games more often than I expected,” adding, “The training part is managing me well.”

Baek Jeong-hyun, who put in significant effort to master the forkball throughout the winter, is seeing great results this season. Notably, during his first appearance of the season as a starter against Kiwoom on March 23, he felt that throwing the forkball helped him find his rhythm.

On October 9 of last year, while in a self-evaluation match preparing for the playoffs, Baek Jeong-hyun was hit on his right hand by a batted ball from Kim Heon-gon, causing him to refract and hit his left eye area. Baek Jeong-hyun collapsed, and batter Kim Heon-gon ran to the mound to check on him. Baek Jeong-hyun was helped off the field by a trainer.

As a result of the examination, he was diagnosed with a minor fracture in his right thumb and a bruise on his left eyelid. He was unable to be listed on the roster for the playoffs or the Korean Series against the KIA Tigers. For him, it was a moment of realization rather than sadness from missing the autumn stage.

Recalling the situation, Baek Jeong-hyun said, “I threw a changeup and got hit by the batted ball, which made me think that maybe it meant I should stop throwing changeups. It prompted me to decide to throw the forkball instead.”

Perhaps that’s why Baek Jeong-hyun smiled and said, “As I allowed more home runs, I wanted to make various changes on my own, so I expressed my gratitude to Heon-gon.” He explained that by adding the forkball to his pitching repertoire, he seemed to have increased his strikeouts.

Since the game against Suwon KT Wiz on April 11, Baek Jeong-hyun has continued a streak of ten consecutive scoreless games. He remarked, “I don't pay much attention to my earned run average. If I allow runs, it goes up, and if I don’t, it goes down, so I’m taking it easy.”

Baek Jeong-hyun embodies the saying that “age is just a number.” He is expected to play a key role as a central member of the bullpen, leading the team's upward momentum this season.

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