It is no exaggeration to say that ‘superstar’ Shohei Ohtani (30) is currently dominating the Major League. Ohtani developed top-level skills not only as a pitcher but also as a hitter, causing the 'dual-dual syndrome'. Last year, he appeared in 23 games as a pitcher, pitched 132 innings, and went 10-5 with an ERA of 3.14, and appeared in 135 games as a hitter, hitting .304 with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases, becoming the American League MVP.
Lotte's 'super rookie' Jeon Mir (19) is also a player who has been attracting attention since his high school days as a pitcher. That's why he was given the nickname 'Jeontani'. Jeon Mir appeared in 14 games as a pitcher and pitched 67⅔ innings on the high school baseball stage last year at Gyeongbuk High School, recording 5 wins, 1 loss, and an average ERA of 1.32. As a hitter, he appeared in 27 games with a batting average of .346, 3 home runs, and 32 RBIs, showing excellent performance in both pitches. showed.
Lotte selected Jeon Mir as the 3rd overall pick in the first round in the 2024 KBO rookie draft held in September last year, and at the time, Jeon Mir said, "If I get the chance, I want to double as a pitcher. Of course, I will do it as the club needs." He said that he would decide his career path according to the policy.
Time passed and it was time for spring camp. Jeon Mir is also sweating hard at the Dededo Sports Complex in Guam, where Lotte's spring camp is in full swing.
For now, Jeon Mir decided to focus on pitching. The birth of the ‘Korean version of Otani’ has been put on hold for a while. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung highly evaluates the growth potential of pitcher Jeon Mir. “I saw him throw from the mound through a practice game, and it was okay. His speed is in the mid-140 km/h range and he knows how to fight on the mound. He definitely has use as a pitcher,” said manager Kim Tae-hyung, adding, “I am still a long way from being a hitter. Now, I need physical strength to play as a hitter.” “This is not possible. If he is at a level where he can hit in the first team right now, I will ask him to bat, but not yet.”
Although his dream of becoming a player in the second league has been put on hold, Jeon Mir has been showing little by little the possibility of playing in the first team since his first season of debut. Manager Kim Tae-hyung is watching Jeon Mir's bullpen pitching with such interest that he says, "He has good strength."
Bullpen pitching performed in front of manager Taehyung Kim. Even if I were a super rookie, I wouldn't have been nervous. Jeon Mir said, "If I'm nervous and nervous, I'm losing to myself, so I'm trying to enjoy myself. This is my first time attending a professional camp, and there are a lot of surprising things. I was half excited and half worried, but now I think I'm more excited."
Next, Jeon Mir said about his choice to become a pitcher instead of a double hitter, "I don't regret not being able to bat. I'm just grateful that they gave me this opportunity. I'm not picking up a bat at all right now. First of all, I'm doing well as a pitcher. “I want to do it,” he said.
In the KBO league, cases of double hitting as a pitcher are extremely rare. In 1982, Kim Seong-han of Haitai (now KIA) appeared in 26 games as a pitcher, pitched 106⅓ innings, recorded 10 wins, 5 losses, 1 save, and an ERA of 2.79, and appeared in 80 games as a hitter, recording a batting average of .305, 13 home runs, 69 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. However, it must be taken into account that this was the first year of the pro career when the player base was very thin.
Currently, Jeon Mir has the number 61 engraved on his back. Regarding the meaning of number 61, Jeon Mir said, "I tried to choose number 97 because there were very few numbers left, but the club said it could be used as the coach's number. So I changed it to number 61." “There is,” he said.
Will Jeon Mir be able to reach peak physical condition before the regular season begins? Before the opening, I asked Jeon Mir how much velocity he would be in at his best condition. Jeon Mir then responded, "Last year, when I was a third year high school student, I ran 150 km in the winter league. I think I will be in best condition if I run 150 km in the upper 140 km range before the start of the regular season."
Will Jeon Mir, a ‘special rookie’ who even great players are paying attention to, be able to soar on the first team stage from the opening game? Although it is difficult to create a KBO league version of Ohtani right now, we can look forward to seeing a top rookie throwing courageously from the mound.
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