Oh Seung-hwan (41), the Samsung Lions’ ‘end boss’, took a step closer to writing a great record.
Oh Seung-hwan has reigned as a top closer in Korean baseball since his debut in 2005, but he chose a change ahead of this season. Manager Park Jin-man said, “I changed the pitching form. He raised his octagon slightly. He lowered his arm a little to throw hard because he didn’t have any velocity last year. He’s back up now, but his speed and angle are better. The feeling of being plugged in is different,” he explained, explaining the difference in Oh Seung-hwan. At the same time, he expressed his anticipation, saying, “You will see a different Oh Seung-hwan than before.”
Oh Seung-hwan showed a strong appearance from the first appearance. Oh Seung-hwan took the mound with two out and first base in the 8th inning with an 8-6 lead against the NC Dinos at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 2nd. He kept his team victorious with 1 strikeout and no runs in 1⅓ innings, and even earned his first save of the season.
Oh Seung-hwan’s fastball speed was 145 km that day. According to the baseball statistics site ‘Staties’, the average speed of Oh Seung-hwan’s fast ball was 142.9 km. His slider and changeup also cut into the strike zone. It was his first appearance, but Oh Seung-hwan boasted of perfect condition and locked Samsung’s back door. 메이저놀이터
Oh Seung-hwan is about to set a great record this season. Oh Seung-hwan, who played in Korea, Japan and the United States, collected 492 career saves until last year. He added one save with a 2-day game. Oh Seung-hwan took one step closer to a record that no one else had achieved. Now, if he only adds 7 saves, he will rewrite Korean baseball history.
He also broke the KBO League save record. Oh Seung-hwan recorded 370 saves until last season. He holds the record for most runs in the division. Oh Seung-hwan is the only player who has recorded more than 300 saves so far. Now, if he adds just 29, he’ll set an unheard-of record of 400 saves. Oh Seung-hwan recorded 31 saves despite the ups and downs last year. If he keeps his pace, he could hit the 400 save mark well enough.
Every time Oh Seung-hwan records a save, Korean baseball history is being rewritten. We are already one step closer to the record. The more days Samsung wins, the sooner Oh Seung-hwan can get closer to the record of 500 saves in Korea, the US and Japan, and 400 saves in the KBO League.