He was a great middle-of-the-rotation pitcher, 안전놀이터
It didn’t just happen. It’s no exaggeration to say that Lee is a different pitcher now than he was in the middle of the order. He still has the same stable delivery and fastball command, but he’s improved in every other area. His secondary pitch is a forkball instead of a slider, which significantly reduces the number of pitches per inning. With his decisive pitches, he actively engages hitters at a high tempo. It keeps the hitters focused.
but when he made the switch to starting, he took it to the next level. He has upgraded the entire starting staff by performing as a starter who doesn’t look like a beginner. LG’s Lee Jung-yong (27) shared his tips on how to perform against strong starting pitchers.
Lee earned his fifth win of the season on April 16 against Samsung in Daegu, throwing 81 pitches for six innings of six hits, zero walks, one strikeout and two runs. He had runners on first and second with no outs in the first inning and runners on first and third with no outs in the fifth, but allowed only one run each. He didn’t allow a single hit to opposing cleanups Koo Ja-ook and Kang Min-ho, giving his team a chance to win.
Pitched at least five innings in three consecutive games, starting on the 2nd against Jamsil Kiwoom. Continued his peak performance with a total of 17 innings and two runs in the three games. Earned his first win since switching to the starting role against the Gwangju KIA on the 9th, and today’s performance was his second straight win.
What’s interesting are the opposing starters that Lee has been matched up with. Ahn Woo-jin started against Kiwoom and Lee Yi-ri started against KIA. For Samsung, it was David Buchanan. Although Buchanan only lasted two innings due to a sudden soreness in his neck, the matchup was a ‘five starter vs. one starter’ situation. Both the team and Lee Jung-yong were expected to struggle, but Lee Jung-yong established himself as the ‘ace in the hole’ and LG cruised with him.
It didn’t just happen. It’s no exaggeration to say that Lee is a different pitcher now than he was in the middle of the order. He still has the same stable delivery and fastball command, but he’s improved in every other area. His secondary pitch is a forkball instead of a slider, which significantly reduces the number of pitches per inning. With his decisive pitches, he actively engages hitters at a high tempo. It keeps the hitters focused.
After becoming the winning pitcher in the team’s 6-3 victory on the 16th, Lee had a clear goal as a starting pitcher. “I think I need to pitch long innings so that the pitchers behind me can play comfortably. I thought, ‘Let’s throw six innings and come down. I’m glad I accomplished my goal and came down,” he laughed.
LG starting pitcher Lee Jung-yong pitches against Samsung Electronics in Daegu on Saturday. Daegu | Yonhap
On the moment when his battery mate Park Dong-won hit the game-winning home run, Lee said, “We gave up the lead, but I didn’t think the team would lose if I went down. I thought Dong-won would take care of it, and he did,” he said, thanking the catcher who hit the game-winning home run.
“I think starting pitchers have a lot of pressure, and middle pitchers have a lot of pressure. I try to control my mind by thinking that I’m going to pitch a long inning differently than when I pitch in the middle, and that even if I have a bad inning, the next inning is a fresh start.”
He knows what it takes to be a starter. Unlike the middle of the order, if you give up an inning, you get another chance. I’ve become a four-pitch pitcher with a natural progression of pitches. He’s really found his place.
Park Dong-won wasn’t just joking when he said to Lee Jung-yong, “Can you postpone the army for one more year?” It wasn’t until the second half of the season that LG’s starting lineup was complete, with Lee filling a spot in the starting lineup. With Lee “Ace Killer” Jung-yong, the team is confident in their top lineup and matchups.
LG’s Lee Jung-yong pitches against Samsung in Daegu on April 16. Photo | LG Twins