Are we finally seeing the fruits of our investment?
The Lotte Giants, the professional baseball team that first introduced a biomechanical analysis system among the 10 teams in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) league, are achieving notable results.
Recently, Lotte has seen a significant increase in pitchers throwing fastballs at speeds of 150 kilometers per hour, to the point where the term 'fireballers' no longer feels awkward. Lee Min-seok, Choi Jun-Yong, Hong Min-ki, and others are representative examples. While some players had impressive speeds even before joining, many have seen their velocities increase after joining through the biomechanical analysis system.
In particular, Hong Min-ki's growth has been remarkable. His average speed was 141.3 kilometers per hour in 2021, and he raised it to 146.8 kilometers per hour last year and 150.1 kilometers per hour this season, showing steady progress.
These results are thanks to the organic collaboration between field leaders and the data analysis team. The data analysis personnel for the first team are part of the operations team and accompany practices from training camp through the season, providing continuous support.
During the training camp period, portable TrackMan equipment was used to measure the pitchers' speeds, movements, and grip changes in real-time while accumulating data. During the season, they analyze the game pitching data of starting pitchers and provide immediate feedback.
The Futures Performance Center is the practical department that directly applies this data to player development. It pursues effective development that reflects the physical characteristics and skills of each player through scientifically based customized feedback and training programs.
Lotte is also actively operating an overseas training program. It is being implemented as part of a strategy for both short-term skill improvement and long-term strengthening of team capabilities. From April 9th for two weeks, they dispatched two players, Hong Min-ki and Kim Tae-hyun, along with three performance team staff members to the baseball academy 'Next BASS' located in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
'Next BASS' is also well-known as the academy that helped LA Angels pitcher Kikuchi Yusei analyze his pitching design, pitch selection, and trajectory consistency to reach Major League Baseball. Previously, Song Jae-young and Park Jun-woo also received short-term training here last November to enhance their skills.
A club official noted, "This is not just about simple overseas training, but a strategic player development system focused on maximizing the potential of players and their long-term growth," adding that they will continue to enhance the competitiveness of the team through ongoing dispatches.
Currently, coach Lim Kyung-wan, who oversees the performance team, is designing skill enhancement programs that include pitching design based on player data. He maintains close communication with field leaders and training staff to finely tune the training direction tailored to each player.
Lotte is determined to catch both rabbits of individual player growth and team capability enhancement through systematic training and data-driven feedback.
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