It is uncertain what kind of results the season will conclude with. However, the worries the team had over the past winter regarding the growth of Lotte's 'final first-round pick' Lee Min-seok (22) are gradually being resolved and yielding results.
Lee Min-seok took the mound on the 3rd against the LG Twins in the KBO regular season at Busan's Sajik Stadium, throwing 96 pitches over 6⅔ innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 walks, and recording 4 strikeouts without allowing any runs. He did not achieve a win. However, he showcased a personal best performance in terms of innings, effectively neutralizing the LG batting lineup. It was a pivotal performance that laid the foundation for a 2-0 victory.
In the first inning, Lee Min-seok struggled a bit with his control but managed to find his rhythm. He recorded three consecutive outs in the first two innings. After achieving two consecutive innings with three outs, Lee Min-seok allowed a walk to the lead-off hitter Cheon Seong-ho in the third. He retired Lee Ju-heon with a fly out to left field but gave up a single to Park Hae-min. He found himself in a 1 out, 1st and 2nd base crisis. He then forced Shin Min-jae into a groundout to the first baseman, leaving 2 outs with runners on 2nd and 3rd. The battle with Kim Hyun-soo was tough, but he ultimately allowed a walk. He faced a full house with 2 outs but struck out Moon Sung-ju.
In the fourth inning, after retiring lead-off hitter Moon Bo-gyeong with a groundout to second base, he allowed a single to Park Dong-won. However, he managed to retire the lead runner at first base on Oh Ji-hwan's groundout. With 2 outs and a runner on first, he faced Cheon Seong-ho, who hit a line drive, but Jung Hoon made a spectacular diving catch to end the inning.
After smoothly navigating the fifth and sixth innings, Lee Min-seok returned to the mound in the seventh. He retired lead-off hitter Oh Ji-hwan with a pop out to shortstop. He achieved a personal record for innings in a single game. After that, he recorded another out against Cheon Seong-ho with a groundout to second base, making it two outs. But following that, he allowed a single to the pinch hitter Ham Chang-geun, letting a runner on base.
Ultimately, Lee Min-seok was unable to finish the seventh inning and handed the ball over to pitching coach Juhyung Kwang. Nevertheless, he left the mound after delivering the best pitching performance of his career. The crowd of 20,000 at Sajik gave him a standing ovation. Choi Jun-yong faced the first hitter Park Hae-min and was hit hard on the first pitch, but right fielder Han Seung-hyun chased the ball down to the fence to make a play. Both Choi Jun-yong and Lee Min-seok celebrated as Lee Min-seok’s perfect outing was completed.
Lee Min-seok has been showing remarkable growth day by day. He was drafted as the last first-round pick in 2022 and began his career as a full-time pitcher late. He only started pitching properly when he became a high school student, but he struggled to throw accurately. Although he had potential for a powerful fastball, his development as a pitcher was lacking.
Lotte exercised their first-round pick rights due to Lee Min-seok's strong shoulder that can throw pitches over 150 km/h and his appearance that resembled a blank canvas. Depending on how they systematically guide and set the growth path, Lee Min-seok's development could vary.
Ultimately, the team's nurturing ability was crucial. In his first two years, they utilized his fastball potential quickly in the bullpen to get him ready for the real game. However, after his elbow surgery, and with changes in the team's leadership and coaching, Lee Min-seok began to prepare as a starting pitcher. From the rehabilitation process following his elbow surgery, the team unanimously established the premise of 'Lee Min-seok = Starter.' Of course, there were trial and error along the way as he settled into the starting pitcher role, but the team remained steadfast.
The true nurturing began last fall. Lee Min-seok went to Japan for training with Jeong Hyeon-su, his sister club the Chiba Lotte Marines, and after that, he began to rapidly improve. Coupled with team-level biomechanical analysis and the passionate guidance of pitching coach Kim Sang-jin, who newly joined the Futures team this year, Lee Min-seok has fully developed the characteristics of a power pitcher.
After returning from Japan, he became interested in his form, which had a stop motion after kicking, and pitching coach Kim Sang-jin also advised him to watch a lot of videos of Japanese pitchers. This led to his current form being completed. His pitching form became stable, and his mechanics improved. In the past, he relied only on his strong shoulder and put more effort into his upper body, but now he engages his entire body. "I feel like I can use my whole body with the new form. Previously, after pitching, my elbow and shoulder muscles would be stiff, but now my whole back and thighs feel stiff," said Lee Min-seok.
After the game, Lee Min-seok said, "I pitched more than 6 innings for the first time since I was born. I threw 6 innings for the first time in the 2nd team this year and then threw 6 innings in the 1st team. Today, 6⅔ innings is my personal record for innings." He added, "I didn’t feel tired while pitching. It seemed to go smoothly as I had prepared before the game, so I could do it easily. I didn’t get a win, but it feels better that the team won, no matter how." That day, Lee Min-seok threw 47 four-seam fastballs at a top speed of 152 km/h and an average speed of 149 km/h, 27 sliders, and 20 changeups. Notably, the proportion of changeups was high, with a two-pitch combination of fastballs and sliders. Occasionally, he threw a curveball, but it was not used frequently.
To establish himself as a starting pitcher, he needed one more pitch, and Lee Min-seok chose a vulcan changeup, thrown with the index and middle fingers separated. The crucial setup man Choi Jun-yong was the first to throw a vulcan changeup, and Lee Min-seok learned this from him. That day, he established it as his decisive pitch with excellent control. Lee Min-seok explained, "When I first came up to the 1st team, my changeup wasn't working, so I tried to throw a splitter. But while throwing the splitter, I caught the feeling of a changeup," showing his grip and adding, "(Choi) Jun-yong does it this way too. Talking with Jun-yong really helped me improve."
He mentioned, "In my last outing (June 27 against KT), my slider kept getting hit. It kept getting caught in the swing path of left-handed batters. Since I came out of the game that day, I wanted to use the changeup so much but couldn’t. That day, I didn’t use a single changeup," adding, "I threw without worrying about speed, thinking about impressing the hitters. Today, I decided to definitely use the changeup, and (Yu) Gang-nam hyung said, 'You can use it a lot today.' So, I thought I should use it a lot and nodded while throwing changeups, and they went in well," he laughed.
Lee Min-seok says he is also accumulating know-how. He mentioned, "Building confidence while pitching is natural. I still struggle, but I feel like I'm slowly developing my own know-how on how to compete against hitters and how to approach the game," describing his growth as a starting pitcher.
At this point, Lee Min-seok is playing the role of a homegrown ace. He is a starting pitcher throwing fastballs over 150 km/h, fulfilling Lotte's dream.
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