There is a player that cannot be left out when talking about the rising trend of Lotte, which is recording 6 consecutive victories.
Reporter Lee Myung-no met Kim Jin-wook, who is continuing his march with a ‘zero’ ERA with a completely different pitch.
When Lotte is in crisis, there is a pitcher they look for first.
I am Kim Jin-wook, my left hand, in my 3rd year.
He repays the faith every time he comes out with a stable pitch and an offensive pitch, and continues to record an earned run average of ‘0’.
Now, Kim Jin-wook’s appearance itself is Lotte’s formula for victory.
“(In the off-season) I think I worked a little harder in terms of preparation. I tried to change a lot… I think I tried to fix the technical and mental parts a lot.”
2nd overall pick in the 2021 draft.
As soon as it was completed, it drew attention as a pitcher with a sense of power, but the result was an average ERA of 6 points for two consecutive years.
He often broke himself down with a bunch of walks.
For a fundamental solution, Kim Jin-wook gritted his teeth last winter.
He would throw the ball with a band around his shoulder and always remind himself of shifting the center of gravity of his lower body.
After last year’s finishing training and the Australian league, the coaches’ intensive guidance has been repeated over and over again.
“I’m constantly doing it before and during the game. So that I can wear it on my body. Originally, there were a lot of games where I collapsed at once, but I think that’s gradually decreasing.”
As I got rid of my worries about walking and gained confidence in myself, my mindset completely changed.
“First of all, I have <confidence> about the ball. I think it is much more comfortable to go with <confidence>, the thought that I can throw the next ball strike even if the ball is judged.”
Kim Jin-wook is included in the reserve list for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
With the current confidence and pitch, becoming a starting pitcher for Lotte, the ultimate goal, as well as the national team, is a reality, not a dream.
“My first goal is to be selected for the national team. I have been to (Tokyo Olympics), so I have experience and want to try more.