SSG Landers’ Seo Jin-yong has been considered a “waiting in the wings” since he entered the professional scene. In the Far Eastern 2018 season, he finished second in the league in holds with 33, making him a key part of the bullpen.
However, Seo’s inconsistent pitches have always held him back. When he’s confident, batters can’t even touch the ball, but when he’s off, he’s overpowering and self-destructive. This is why he had a blossoming 2018 season and then a troubled one.
But this season, he’s been one of the best closers in the league. Former manager Kim Won-hyung struggled with his bullpen, but still left the back door open for Seo Jin-yong, who has the most closing experience, with 42 saves in 69 games. He even went 50 games without a blown save. With 42 saves, Seo led the league in saves and is receiving awards for the first time since his professional debut. It was his best season yet.
Seo was named the team’s MVP of the season by the coaching staff.
He was also the player who most notably achieved a ‘career high’. “Actually, I’d like to be the MVP myself,” he joked, laughing.
“This year, I played well in the first half of the season, and if I look back at myself, I feel confident that I can do well next year and the year after if I don’t get sick. I think I’ve grown a lot by having this title. I’m determined to do it as long as I don’t get sick.”
He may look ‘cool,’ but when he’s on the mound, he throws one pitch after another with all his might. He is always on the verge of exhaustion when he comes off the field. “It’s hard when you’re the only one with the bases loaded,” he joked, adding, “I had too many strikeouts. As a closer, there’s a lot of pressure because you’re the one who ends the game, 온라인카지노 but it’s still an attractive position. In the U.S., there’s a ‘what the hell’ mentality. That’s what I tried to do this year. Even (catcher) Kim Min-sik came up and said, ‘Jinyong, this is what you are. Let’s try to stop him. That’s how it ended,” he laughed.
In fact, Seo is hopeful that one of his elbow concerns has been removed.
He underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow on the 10th. It was a simple procedure, but when he went back for a second opinion the day before the test, the bone in the area was broken. He’s always had to live with a little pain and take therapeutic injections, but now he’s completely rid of that anxiety.
“I think I’ll be able to start shadow pitching in mid-to-late January at the earliest, so I’ll be ready for the opening day. I have a good recovery, so it’s okay,” he said, expressing his expectations for next season.
The pitcher is now more excited than worried. That’s why Seo Jin-yong, the ‘save king’ with confidence, will be in the spotlight in 2024.