“I think the pitching design needs to be changed a bit in the second half.”
Yeom Gyeong-yeop, manager of the LG Twins, gave advice to Casey Kelly of ‘Jamsil Jesus’.
Kelly, who has been wearing an LG uniform since the 2019 season, is a right-handed pitcher who posted an average ERA of 2.89 with 58 wins and 31 losses in 114 KBO league games (697 innings) until last year. His strength is that he can use two types of fastballs, four-seam and cutter, as well as various breaking balls such as curveball, slider, and changeup.
However, Kelly fell into a slump this year. As of the 14th, his performance was 6-5 with an ERA of 4.44 in 18 games (107.1 innings). For this reason, in the middle of the first half, rumors of a foreign pitcher replacement were engulfed in it.
Fortunately, in the game against the Hanwha토토사이트 Eagles in Jamsil on the 12th, the last game of the first half, Kelly threw 86 balls and blocked 7 innings with 5 hits, 2 strikeouts and 2 runs, providing an opportunity to rebound. Unfortunately, LG lost 1-2 in the game and he had to take the 5th loss, but it was a pitch that predicted his performance in the second half.
In response, coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop, who met with reporters after the Hanwha match in Jamsil on the 13th was canceled due to rain, said, “I am looking forward to the second half. Today, he himself requested a tea time and is waiting for it.” “My thoughts are different. Originally, I wanted to (request a meeting), but I came first myself. So I pulled out all of Kelly’s data.”
At the same time, Director Yeom said, “I think (Kelly) needs to change the pitching design a bit in the second half. (Even against Hanwha on the 12th) The pitching design and pitching pattern were different from when I was hit in the first inning (with two runs) and from the third inning (when I started throwing well),” he gave Kelly clear advice.
In the meantime, Kelly has dominated hitters with his main weapon changeup. But this year, his changeup is getting hit. Currently, Kelly’s changeup hit rate reaches 0.349. In the match against Hanwha on the 12th, Kelly gave up 2 points in the beginning of the 1st inning with 2 outs on 1st and 2nd base and was attacked by Moon Hyun-bin with a changeup. This was the final point of the day.
Director Yeom Gyeong-yeop said, “We have to decide how to use each type of pitch and what type of pitch to use for each count. He emphasized, “After two strikes, he doesn’t miss swings, and we need to know why his batting average is high.”
Director Yeom continued, “In the end, the changeup is (Kelly’s) deciding ball, and the hit rate for the changeup is the highest after two strikes. Then, the changeup is not a deciding ball,” he said. “Through the data, I will accurately convey these stories to Kelly. I will tell you how to change the pitching design and how to use the changeup effectively.”
For LG, Kelly’s rebound is desperately needed. LG, which is building a starting lineup with Kelly, Adam Plutko, and Lim Chan-gyu, has a clear weakness in the 4th and 5th starters. In the midst of this, if Kelly can show the aspect of an ace, the weight of the starting lineup can increase.
Will Kelly be able to actively accept the command tower’s advice and return to the ‘Jamsil Jesus’ we know in the second half? This is also a necessary element for LG, which is aiming for the presidency this year.