“I will compete next year in my 5th year as a professional”
Hanwha Eagles' right-handed pitcher Nam Ji-min (22) returned from Miyazaki, Japan's finishing camp on the 19th. In early October, he departed for Japan to participate in the Miyazaki Instructional League (Phoenix League), fall camp, and returned after 40 days. His right shoulder was a little bad, so he arrived 10 days before the team's main team.
Nam Ji-min, who met at the Hanwha 2nd Army training center in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province on the 20th, said, "Rather than an injury, I think it can be seen as accumulated fatigue." The Hanwha coaching staff decided that it would be better to return to Korea and rest. Nam Ji-min will stay in Seosan until the end of November, and then continue preparing for next season in his hometown of Busan in December.
On October 30, the final day of the instructional league, he took the mound against the Yakult Swallows and faced 15 batters over 4 innings and threw 47 pitches. He gave up two hits and one walk and struck out one. His fastball reached a maximum speed of 148 km/h and an average speed of 144 km/h. In five instructional league games (one as a starter), he pitched 8⅓ innings with three strikeouts and two walks and a 3.24 earned run average.
Nam Ji-min said, “Japanese hitters have really good contact and cutting abilities. I made up for what I was lacking by testing things I had not been able to do before.”
It was an educatinal league and finishing camp where I gained a lot.
He said, “Coaches Seung-min Park, Jeong-jin Park, and Gyu-jin Yoon paid close attention to me. I corrected many of the areas I had been trying to correct for stable pitching.”
A prospect who was selected in the second first round of the 2020 rookie draft.
The 2023 season was a season of great disappointment. Last season, he pitched as a full-time starter. He built up his starting class with the full support of the coaching staff. He expected an upgraded appearance this year.
But he was ragged. He stayed longer in the second team than in the first team. Control was holding me back.
He pitched in 16 games, with 1 win and 7 losses, and an earned run average of 6.45. He pitched 89 innings last year, but only 37⅔ innings this year. Still, this is a season where a lot has been gained. Nam Ji-min had a positive outlook, saying, “I didn’t get good results, but looking toward the future, it was a year where I gained good experiences.”
Next year will be my 5th year as a professional. If things continue like this, he will remain a prospect for the rest of his life. If you don't move forward in the professional world, it's like taking a step backwards.
He said he would try to compete next season. He said, “I want to prepare well during the off-season and show it off before performing my military service.”
I look forward to 2024.
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