“I want to see him pitch out of the bullpen”

The SSG Landers bullpen gets some much-needed reinforcements.

Fourteen players who have been playing Futures League games for the Sangsang (Armed Forces Athletic Corps) for over a year have completed their military service on Friday and headed back to their clubs. The players who received their transfers today are SSG Kim Gun-woo, Kim Taek-hyung, Jang Ji-hoon, Cho Yo-han, LG Lee Young-bin, Lim Joon-hyung, KT Shim Woo-joon, Kwon Dong-jin, NC Kim Tae-kyung, Park Dong-soo, Samsung Kim Yoon-soo, Park Seung-kyu, Lotte Chu Jae-hyun, and Hanwha Heo In-seo. Most of these players have played first-team matches before enlisting and are immediately recognized for their power.

When it comes to the SSG with the most retired players, Kim Taek-hyung and Jang Ji-hoon are the two names that stand out.

The left-hander has appeared in 263 games for the first team with 280 innings pitched, 18 wins, 18 losses, 30 holds, 24 saves, and a 5.63 ERA, and in 2022, his final season before joining the team, he contributed to the team’s ‘wire-to-wire’ victory with a 4.92 ERA in 64 games, 60⅓ innings pitched, 3 wins, 5 losses, 10 holds, and 17 saves.

He continued his success in the Futures League. After going 2-2 with a 4.42 ERA in 20 games and 18⅓ innings last year, he returned to SSG this year after going 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 26 games and 25 innings with seven saves.

Like Kim Tae-hyung, Jang Ji-hoon is another pitcher who has gotten plenty of opportunities in the first team. After joining SSG with the 38th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, he went 4-5 with a 4.06 ERA in 100 games, 135⅓ innings, 16 holds, and one save over 안전놀이터 two seasons in 2021 and 2022. Jang’s return will be a big boost for the team, especially since SSG doesn’t have a lot of sidearm pitchers to utilize.

The commanders are also looking forward to the ‘reserve effect’. SSG coach Lee Sung-yong said, “Originally, we didn’t want them to join the first team right away, but if they had a good evaluation in the second team, we would put them on the first team, but they said they would come to say hello on the 16th or 17th after they were discharged on the 15th, so I’m going to see them pitch in the bullpen and then decide (whether to join the first team). I want to see them pitch with my own eyes,” he said.

This season, SSG’s bullpen ERA is 5.15 in 15 games, seventh in the league. The addition of Cho Byung-hyun this season has reduced the burden on Noh Kyung-eun and Seo Jin-yong, but SSG is still criticized for having a loose back door. He’s in need of a solid plus.

“I saw (Jang) Ji-hoon on video, and (Kim) Taek-hyung is a player I’ve always seen,” Lee said, adding, “He has a good changeup, and he’s one of the few sidearm pitchers in our team, so if we can utilize him well, I think we’ll be fine.”

However, the commander remained vigilant as SSG is not the only team looking to bolster their roster with the addition of reservists. “I think (the players leaving) will be a factor in the second half of the season,” Lee said.