Jeong Hae-young, from first national team call-up to closing mid
KIA"s Jung Hae-young pitches in the sixth inning of the game between the KIA Tigers and SSG Landers in the "2023 Shinhan SOL KBO League" at SSG Landers Field in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on July 6.
KIA Tigers closer Jeong Hae-young, 22, has been called up to the national team for the first time.
Jung is a franchise player who joined the Kia Tigers in 2020 after playing for Gwangju Dongseongjoong and Gwangju Jeilgo.
He started his rookie season as a setup man and quickly established himself as a first-team regular with double-digit holds (11).
In his second year, in 2021, he became a full-time closer. In 64 games that year, he went 5-4 with 34 saves and a 2.20 ERA.
In 2022, he was just as solid, going 3-7 with 32 saves and a 3.38 ERA in 55 games. This year, after a shaky start, he steadied himself to a 3-4 record with 23 saves and a 2.92 ERA in 52 games. In total, he has 90 saves in four professional seasons.
His performance earned him a spot on the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) 2023 roster.
Until now, the Korean National Baseball Team had a built-in closer in Ko Woo-seok (LG), but when Ko was withdrawn for various reasons, including physical condition, the opportunity presented itself.
Initially, Jung was expected to serve as a set-up man to bridge the gap between starting and closing, but when Park Young-hyun (KT) was pulled from the roster for the Korean Series, Jung was immediately given the closer"s job.
Reliever Jung Hae-young greets the players after KIA"s 3-0 victory over SSG Landers during the baseball game between KIA Tigers and SSG Landers in the "2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League" at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on May 9.
Speaking to reporters before heading to Japan on Thursday, head coach Ryu Joong-il named Jeong Hae-young as Park Young-hyun"s replacement.
For Jeong, wearing the Korean flag for the first time outside of her youth national team career was nerve-wracking enough, but the pressure was even greater when she was given the main task of finishing.
Especially at the APBC, the level of opposing batters is much higher than at the Asian Games, as professional players from various countries participate. This means that the pressure on pitchers is even greater.
Jung had to show her know-how and competitiveness as a closer in order to bring smiles to the faces of the team.
Arriving in Japan with a mixture of nerves and excitement, Jung said she would rather enjoy the situation than be overwhelmed by it.
"Since I was selected to the national team for the first time, I don"t have any control over my position, so I just throw hard whenever I"m given a task," she said.
"My physical condition is fine. I will continue to throw confidently as I have been doing without any pressure," she said.