If a left-handed fireballer throwing a ball at a speed of around 150 km/h can secure a spot in the bullpen, any team would welcome them with open arms. The professional baseball team Lotte Giants has a talent capable of realizing that dream.
This year, Lotte debuted many rookie-level players in the first team, making an impression on fans with their performances in every game. Among them, one of the best discoveries this year is left-handed pitcher Hong Min-ki. Selected as the 4th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 rookie draft, expectations were high for Hong Min-ki, but he struggled to play enough to receive a proper evaluation.
However, after returning from active military service in October 2023, manager Kim Tae-hyoung immediately singled out Hong Min-ki as a standout player. At that time, since he was not familiar with the names of young players, he could not mention his name directly but described him as 'someone who seems to throw 150 km/h.'
Since last year, Hong Min-ki has gradually received expectations and has appeared as a substitute starter in the first team. Although he was not with the first team's spring camp this year, he trained in the second team and returned after about three weeks of biomechanical training at the Next Base Athletic Lab in Chiba, Japan, in early April.
Additionally, in the second team, coaches Kim Sang-jin and Moon Dong-hwan, along with remaining team coach Kim Hyun-wook and performance coach Lim Gyeong-wan, all collaborated to bring out the best in Hong Min-ki. Previously, Hong Min-ki was throwing at speeds in the upper 140 km/h to lower 150 km/h range. However, he has now transformed into a left-handed fireballer with a speed of around 150 km/h and is being developed by Lotte as a fastball pitcher they would even bring back from hell.
On May 17, he made his season debut in a game against Samsung. Then, on June 18, he unexpectedly started against Hanwha, showcasing an impressive performance with 4 innings pitched, 4 hits allowed, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, and 1 earned run. After that, Hong Min-ki began to be utilized more regularly. He made his presence known in both long relief situations in the bullpen and short innings, and during the game against Doosan on the 8th, he pitched 5 innings, allowing 3 hits with no walks, 7 strikeouts, and no earned runs, seizing the opportunity for his first starting win.
He reached a maximum speed of 156 km/h, averaging 150 km/h, while his four-seam fastball has a cutter-like break. He also throws a fast slider that can reach the low 140 km/h range and a slow slider that disrupts the hitter's timing. Although he primarily uses two pitches, he can be seen as throwing three different types of pitches. It would be perfect if he could add just one more pitch, but that may be premature.
Manager Kim Tae-hyoung early on identified Hong Min-ki as a bullpen resource. For now, he serves the role of supporting the key relief pitchers, but there are expectations that he can also take on that key relief role. Manager Kim noted, 'Among the pitchers, Hong Min-ki has played a surprisingly significant role.' He continued, 'For now, Hong Min-ki becomes more reliable while pitching from the middle. It seems to be easier to manage. With four key relief pitchers, it’s not always possible for all four to be on standby. They can become fatigued or have muscle cramps from consecutive appearances. If Hong Min-ki can take on some of that role, things will become smoother.'
Towards the end of the first half of the season, there were several scenes to worry about overload in the Lotte bullpen. Closer Kim Won-jung complained of discomfort in his shoulder and was rested for two games during the last series of the first half against Doosan. With Kim Won-jung out, it had a ripple effect on the rest of the bullpen.
Especially, Jeong Hyeon-su became the first left-handed pitcher in six years to record double-digit holds since Go Hyo-jun (15 holds) in 2019, and until June, he maintained a 2.61 earned run average. However, his performance skyrocketed in July. In six appearances in July, his earned run average soared to 37.80 (7 earned runs in 1⅔ innings). He is already the league's most appeared pitcher (54 games) at this pace and is on track to pitch in 87 games. If Hong Min-ki can help lighten the load of Jeong Hyeon-su, a fellow left-handed pitcher, and share roles with Jeong Cheol-won and Choi Jun-Yong, it could ease the burden on the Lotte bullpen. Of course, it’s also important for Hong Min-ki to manage without falling into overload.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Hong Min-ki is carrying not only the fate of the Lotte bullpen but also the destiny of the team this season.
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