‘Youngest 100 SV’ 22-year-old baby tiger, KBO League history is in sight… Partner also said, “The fastball is the best, and the catcher is really comfortable.”

Jeong Hae-young. /Photo = KIA Tigers

Baby tiger Jeong Hae-young (22, KIA Tigers) is already on the verge of making new KBO league history.

Haeyoung Jeong appeared as the team’s last pitcher in the bottom of the 10th inning of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League regular season visit game (total of 10,205 people) held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 23rd, and pitched 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and no runs, leading KIA. He achieved his 9th save of the season while leading the team to a 5-2 victory.

As a result, Haeyoung Jeong recorded 99 saves in her career, becoming just one more away from becoming the youngest player in KBO League history to achieve 100 saves. The KBO League’s youngest record of 100 saves was held by Lim Chang-yong (Samsung) in 2000 at the age of 23 years, 10 months, and 10 days. Jeong Hae-young, who is 22 years, 8 months and 1 day old as of April 24, is likely to break Lim Chang-yong’s record after 24 years.

Jeong Hae-young, who graduated from Gwangju Daeseong Elementary School, Gwangju Dongseong Middle School, and Gwangju Jeil High School, joined KIA as a first round selection in the 2020 KBO rookie draft. From the time of his nomination, he became famous as the son of Jeong Hoe-yeol, who was a first-round pick for the Haitai Tigers and played as a catcher.

Jung Hae-young, who achieved his first relief win in his debut match against Hanwha in Gwangju on July 1, 2020, made his first save in the second game of a doubleheader against KT held in Gwangju, his home stadium, on August 30 of the same year.

Jeong Hae-young. /Photo = KIA Tigers

Starting in 2021, the second year since joining the team, he started to establish himself as a closer pitcher. He made 12 saves in the month of October alone, setting the record for the most monthly saves in the 2021 season, and in the game against Gwangju KT on October 20, he became the youngest player in KBO League history to achieve 30 saves at 20 years, 1 month, and 27 days. Ultimately, he finished the season with 34 saves, matching Lim Chang-yong’s Tigers record for most saves in a season in 1998.

Since then, he has continued to accumulate saves, and his chances of becoming the 22nd player in history to record 100 saves in the KBO League have increased.

This year, KIA is leading the way with even stronger pitching and stable pitching. In the meantime, there were many situations where he suddenly gave up a walk, wavered, and then achieved a save with difficulty. In particular, due to the lack of fast balls required for finishing, batters were often able to easily clear them. But last winter, the solution was found at Driveline Baseball Center in the United States. He stayed for 34 days and 33 nights and changed little by little. He measured and checked his current physical condition and skills, including velocity, vertical movement, and pitching mechanism, and resolved the kink movement, allowing him to throw the ball a little faster.

The ones who felt the change in Jeong Hae-young were the catchers who received his balls. Junsu Han once praised, “(Jung) Haeyoung’s fastball has really improved. He has no control over the tip of the ball, so he throws it well when asked where he wants it, so it’s really comfortable for the catcher.”

Haeyoung Jeong will attempt to become the youngest player to make 100 saves in the match against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 24th. If she succeeds in making 100 saves, she will also achieve double-digit saves for the fourth consecutive year. This is the 19th KBO league record and the first to be achieved by a pitcher who has played exclusively in KIA for all four years. Additionally, if he achieves 20 or more saves this season, he will become the 7th player in history to make 20 saves for 4 consecutive years.

The KBO plans to award a commemorative award according to the commendation regulations if Jung Hae-young achieves 100 saves.

[저작권자 @머니투데이, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]