Will Heo Yong-joo be able to help the LG Twins bullpen next season.
A native of Masan Dongjung and Yongma High School, Heo Yong-ju is a right-handed pitcher who was called by LG with 67th overall in the seventh round of 2023. With a confident physique of 194 centimeters and 90 kilograms, he boasted so much potential that he already threw fastballs over 150 kilometers in high school.
However, even for Hur, his professional performance was far from easy. He underwent Tommy John surgery at the same time and bone fragment removal surgery at the end of 2022, and focused on rehabilitation in his first year. He played in nine games in the Futures League this season, but struggled with one win, one loss and one hold with an ERA of 8.18.
However, LG had high expectations for the runner-up. During the course of this season, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop provided the Korean team with an opportunity to take part in a "major tour" in which players can accompany the first team to gain experience. After the season, he also dispatched Lee Ji-gang, Sung Dong-hyun (pitcher) and Lee Ju-heon (catcher) to the Junichi Dragons' final camp in Japan.
The results were significant. "Through this camp, I was able to feel a lot of things while training with Japanese players," said Kim Kwang-sam, a pitching coach who accompanied conditioning coach Park Jong-gon to the camp as general manager. "All the players we trained together were able to take a step further in their skills and attitude toward baseball, and it was a time to confirm once again that baseball starts from the basics."
"It was a time when all four players participated in the event were able to make great strides. Permission-based skills improvement was particularly noticeable. I think I will be able to develop into a good player if I gain experience," Kim said with a thumbs-up.
If Heo Yong-joo can take a leap forward and make his appearance in the first division next year, LG, which has suffered from a loose bullpen this season, will gain significant strength. LG had to have a tough year ahead of this season, with Ko Woo-suk (play for the U.S.), Lee Jung-yong (military enlistment), and Ham Deok-ju (surgery) all missing. LG's earned run average (ERA) for this season reached 5.17.
What's worse is that Ham Deok-ju, who returned to the court in the middle of this season, is back on the operating table again, and cannot avoid a certain period of hiatus. If a fastball speed limit of 150 kilometers or more is revealed, LG will be able to gain a very strong chance.
Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, who is leading LG's finishing camp in Icheon, told Yonhap News on Tuesday, "Yum Yong-ju is the fastest pitcher in the Futures team. I want to use him as the winning team in the first team next year. I will check his performance in the spring camp and exhibition games." 메이저놀이터
Hur has also gained confidence. "I came to the training site (Icheon Champions Park, where LG's finishing camp is underway) right after returning to Korea to remember what I learned at the Chunichi camp. I will continue to train even after the end of the training camp to further develop what I learned this fall," Hur said. "I don't want to be a fast pitcher who stays at the training site. I need to be a pitcher who can play in the game and set an out count." Will Hur be able to help LG's bullpen in the 2025 season.