Four years after changing uniforms, could this be the turning point for Choi?

Choi was named the “Pitcher MVP” by manager Kim Tae-hyung at the 2024 Lotte Giants spring training camp.

His trademark is a powerful fastball with excellent vertical movement. At the time of his signing, former Giants manager Larry Sutton was highly touted as a possible future starter or closer.

The former Jang Chung-go ace was drafted by KT in the second round of the 2018 draft. He last donned a Lotte uniform in December 2020. Choi, who was serving in the military at the time, was traded for Shin In-sin and Park Si-young in the third round of the second round.

Shin and Park helped KT win the title in 2021 by filling in the gaps in the lineup. 토토사이트 KT gave up a valuable prospect, but the trade was successful and the remaining years are a bonus.

Lotte, on the other hand, didn’t have the same luck.

Choi, who was discharged from the military in 2021, has been on Lotte’s spring training roster every year since the 2022 season, but has yet to make an impact in the regular season. He was considered a promising prospect by Lotte, but he failed to show it on the field. In his first year, he pitched just five games and 2⅓ innings, giving up eight runs (six earned) and a 23.14 ERA.

Last year, when he changed his name from Choi Gun to Choi Yi-jun, he appeared in 28 games and pitched 29 innings, going 1-1 with a 6.83 ERA. It was a little better than the year before, but not good enough for Lotte, who were hoping for a must-win situation.

This year, however, was different, as he caught the eye of manager Kim Tae-hyung with a powerful fastball that reached up to 147 kilometers in spring training.

Choi said, “It was a long and short spring training period, and I think I learned more than ever, which is why he gave me the MVP award. The entire pitching staff will be in good shape this year because we’ve done a good job preparing for the upcoming season,” he said with pride.

While there are still a few exhibition games to go, Kim’s plans for the season are almost complete.

Wilkerson Barnes, Park Se-woong, and Na Gyun-an are the stalwarts of the No. 1 through 4 spots, with Han Hyun-hee, Lee In-bok, and Shim Jae-min competing for the No. 5 spot. The bullpen has five relievers in Kim Sang-soo Choi Jun-yong Koo Seung-min Kim Won-joong and the returning Park Jin-hyung.

That’s 10 pitchers already. Manager Kim Tae-hyung said, “I would like to use two left-handed bullpens.” Veteran Jin Hae-soo will fill one spot, and other pitchers, including Lim Jun-seop, are being considered for the other. In the end, there are only about 1.5 spots open for Choi, 파워볼실시간 with Kim Do-gyu, rookie Jeon Mir, Jung Sung-jong, and the returning Lee Min-seok vying for the left-hander’s spot.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung is confident in his pitching staff, saying, “The mound is good.” Choi Yi-joon will have to wait until this year to make his mark on the first team,