Lotte’s ‘hated prospect’ will finally blossom next year, but for now, the ‘winning contractor’ is watching with interest.
Right-handed pitcher Yoon Seong-bin (24), who joined Lotte as a first-round pick in 2017 and made a splash in the professional arena with a contract of 450 million won ($450,000), was touted as a “special prospect” because of his outstanding physical condition at 197 centimeters tall and 90 kilograms in weight, and his fastball that reaches 150 kilometers per hour.
But so far, Yoon’s record at the first team level is 2-6 with a 6.75 ERA. He didn’t even make a first-team start this year.
After joining the first team spring training ahead of the season, Yoon caught the attention of the coaching staff by throwing a fastball up to 148 kilometers in a practice game. Little did he know that injury was in store for him, as he was sent home midway through the season with a left hamstring injury.
All coaches are very interested in Yoon Sung-bin. He has a great physical condition and an attractive fastball 토토사이트.
This is the case with Lotte’s new head coach Kim Tae-hyung. He is currently conducting the final camp at Sangdong Stadium in Gimhae. “Yoon Sung-bin is a very physical player,” says Kim, “but he’s throwing with his arm down a bit now. I think we need to watch that part as well.”
The lowering of the arm height was done at Yoon’s request. Pitching coach Joo Hyung-kwang also said, “He said he wanted me to lower his arm. He said he was stressed. I told the coach, and he said, ‘Let him do what he wants. We’ll see what happens.”
It’s a conclusion he came to after many failures and frustrations. “Actually, when I was younger, I was a pitcher who threw with a low arm, but because I was so tall, my arm went up without me realizing it. I tried everything, but some things didn’t work, and I couldn’t give up my speed, so I threw hard and strained my shoulder.” “Now, there is no place to retreat, and I felt that I should prioritize throwing comfortably according to my body rather than continuing to study and throw, so that I would have no regrets in the future,” Yoon said. I gave it a lot of thought and told him.”
“It seems like I changed things every year when it didn’t work, so I was stressed out,” says Yoon. Especially this year, he was disappointed that he couldn’t fulfill his dream of leapfrogging as he encountered a reef of injuries. “I really made up my mind to try harder than anyone else, but I was disappointed that my body didn’t help me,” he said. “In the second team, the head coach, Bae Young-soo, helped me a lot with the game management. As I threw steadily, my mind relaxed and I was able to regain my confidence,” he said, reflecting on his year.
Nothing to lose. He’s going out with a bang. “Next year will be my eighth year as a professional. I admit that I wasn’t 100% focused on baseball. I think it’s a new opportunity, and I’m going to do the best I can and have no regrets.”
I asked him what his goals are for next year. “First of all, I want to join the team from spring training, and on the mound, I want to look at the middle of the plate and hit my pitches without being afraid,” he said.
Even now, there are still many fans who are waiting for Yoon’s potential to explode one day. This is what drives him to put his frustrations behind him and pick up the ball again. “I actually thought about quitting a lot, but there are still people who support me, so I think I’m getting stronger thanks to them,” he said.
Now it’s time to shed the label of “perennial prospect. Just as Lotte has made a fresh start with the appointment of new head coach Kim Tae-hyung, Yoon Sung-bin is also looking forward to a new beginning.