Can the second-year pitcher earn a first-team call-up?
Samsung Lions right-hander Shin Jeong-hwan (20) started the game against the KIA Future Team at Hampyeong Stadium on April 12.
Shin got off to a clean start in the first inning, getting Kim Min-soo to ground out to first base and Park Jung-woo and Hong Jong-pyo to ground out to shortstop. In the second inning, he struck out Kim Seok-hwan on a wild pitch and Byun Woo-hyuk on a straight hit to the pitcher, then gave up back-to-back singles to Kim Ho-ryung and Jung Hye-won, but got Joo Hyo-sang to ground out to first base to end the inning without a run.
The third inning brought two runs. Jang struck out Jang Si-hyun, but gave up a triple to right-center field to Kim Min-soo and a sacrifice fly to left field to Park Jung-woo. He got Hong Jong-pyo to ground out to second base to end the inning.
He gave up a leadoff walk to Kim Huck-hwan in the fourth, but struck out Byun Woo-hyuk and Kim Ho-ryung before getting Jung Hye-won to fly out to right field. In the fifth, he gave up two hits but no runs.
He took the mound again in the sixth. He was hit by a pitch to Hong Jong-pyo. He then gave up an RBI double to Kim Seok-hwan and a walk to Byun Woo-hyuk. Luckily, he got Kim Ho-ryung to pop out to shortstop.
Shin then turned the mound over to Han Yeon-wook. Han retired the two runners Shin left on base without allowing a run. He struck out Jung He-won and turned Joo Hyo-sang into a triple play.
On the day, Shin gave up two runs on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. His pitch count was 95. There were 50 strikes and 45 balls.
Shin picked up his first win of the season on March 27 against the LG Future Team, pitching six innings of six-hit ball with two walks and six strikeouts. However, he has since fallen off a cliff after throwing two innings of two-hit ball with three walks and two strikeouts against the KIA Future team on March 3. His pace hasn’t been bad lately.
Shin Jeong-hwan, who was drafted by Samsung with the 33rd pick of the 2022 Secondary 4th Round after graduating from Mogajung-Sangwoo, is one of the players Samsung manager Park Jin-man is looking forward to. He has yet to fulfill his dream of making his first-team debut, but he started with the second team in the spring camp in Okinawa, Japan earlier this year and came to Korea with his first-team brothers.
In March, with the exhibition matches in full swing, Samsung head coach Park Jin-man said of Shin, “I thought he was better than what we saw in the Futures last season and even better in the spring camp. If he lays a good foundation at the Futures, I think he will definitely become a better player.”
Of course, his record leaves a lot to be desired. Last season, he went 1-0 with a 12.96 ERA in 10 games in the Futures League, and this season, he’s 1-1 with a 5.31 ERA in six games.
But while he doesn’t have a 150+ mph fastball, he’s 6-foot-4, sturdy, reliable on the mound, and a hard worker who works tirelessly for his success.메이저놀이터
Samsung’s starting pitching staff is in danger of collapse. Won Tae-in has been sidelined since the 23rd to compete in the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022, and Baek Jung-hyun is also dealing with elbow pain. Choi Chae-heung has been struggling and has been sent to the bullpen.
Will Shin Jeong-hwan get a chance?