5⅓ innings in 8 matches for the 1st team. ERA 15.19. No wins or losses.
The record is shabby, but the expectations placed on Choi Yi-jun of the Lotte Giants are enormous. In 2020, Lotte traded Choi Yi-joon, who was serving in the military, by giving him Shin Bon-gi and Park Si-young. Shin Bong-ki led the KT Wiz to victory in 2021, with infield multi-backup and Park Si-young in charge of the bullpen.
Now it’s Choi Yi-joon’s turn to show. His strong fastball of up to 152 km stands out. He is the owner of a rising fastball (based on Sports 2 I), which ranks in the top 7% of the KBO league in average fastball speed and top 12% in up and down movement.
He suffered from anxiety and injuries. In particular, plantar fasciitis, which occurred during the season, plagued him. When he showed a sluggish appearance on the day he had an interview for returning to the first team, he was humiliated to pack his things the next day. His performance last season was 5 games, 2⅓ innings, and his earned run average was a whopping 23.14.
I want to forget the past and start anew. He changed his name from Geon Choi to Ijun Choi. On the 28th, Choi Lee-joon, who contacted me, asked the meaning of the name, and he laughed, saying, “I will collect a lot of things that are beneficial to me.”
“It’s a name change I’ve been planning since I was serving in the military. I finally did it after last season. My father gave me a good name at a naming agency that he recognized separately. Now I want to start anew. Forget last season and do well this year.”
Choi Lee-joon made his mark this winter as a disciple of pitching coach Bae Young-soo. It is rumored that the stability of the pitching balance he regained from the second half was impressive. During the finishing camp, coach Bae repeatedly said, “I believe in you! Do well!” 먹튀검증
The wound has also been healed. While he usually puts effort into stretching the soles of his feet, he is also trying to lose weight of 90kg. Choi Yi-joon expressed his passion, saying, “Now the tip of the ball goes up like before. I want to play baseball quickly.”
Along with the name, he also changed his number. Instead of number 61, she wore number 33 this year. Choi Yi-joon smiled broadly, saying, “The moment I saw number 33, it caught my eye. Aren’t these two good numbers?
Lotte had an unexpected injury issue before the season. This is Lee In-bok’s elbow surgery. ‘Madangsoe’ Kim Do-gyu, who played from the bridge to Pil Seung-jo for two years, is also injured. This could be an opportunity for Choi Yi-joon..
“I used to run away from pitching. Now I have confidence in my ball. I try to throw it with the feeling that it’s okay to hit. My goal is to throw more than 50 innings this season. Wouldn’t my position start as a pursuit team? I want to aim for a starting spot later.”