Prior to the match against Kiwoom held at SSG 메이저놀이터 Landers Field in Incheon on the 21st, SSG Dugout was constantly talking about the contents of a newcomer’s pitching. It was a story praising the pitching of Lee Rowoon (19), a high school graduate rookie who won his first hold after his debut in the match (8-5 win) against kt held the previous day (20th) at Suwon KT Wiz Park.
Roun Lee took the mound in the 8th inning with a lead of 8-5 that day, caught Kang Baek-ho, Alford Park Byeong-ho, who were the center hitters of the opponent and the league’s representative hitters, and blocked one inning. It was an inning that could be concluded that these powerful kt hitters were pushed back in an unstoppable aggressive game. Originally, there was no plan to start in a winning situation, but in the game situation, SSG coach Kim Won-hyung made a bold choice and it worked.
There were many evaluations that he threw the best ball after his professional debut. Even after the game, the coaching staff and power analysis officials continued to praise him. “It was a fastball. The ball had good power” was the dominant evaluation.
It was decisive that he played well with Kang Baek-ho, the first hitter. He threw two fastballs high in the count of 1B-1S and struck out with consecutive misses. Kang Baek-ho is one of the players who throws the strongest batting ball in the league, and his batting condition has been good recently. No matter how fast the fastball is, there are many cases where it becomes a straight hit if it is caught in Kang Baek-ho’s zone. Of course, the pitching trajectory of a newcomer meeting for the first time must have been unfamiliar, but the scene where Lee Ro-Woon overcomes Kang Baek-Ho by force was also a hint of the future potential.
Kang Baek-ho threw a very powerful ball at bat. According to ‘Trackman’, which provides tracking data to 9 KBO league teams, the 3-ball fastball was 151 km per hour. It wasn’t just the ball that was fast. The revolutions per minute (RPM) reached 2482, more than 100 more than the league average. Here, the vertical movement was 52.5 cm. Due to gravity, it entered 52.5 cm higher than where it should have fallen. Kang Baek-ho’s bat brushed past the ball for the same reason.
The 4th fastball also had a speed of 150.7km, and the RPM was 2482 times, which was a case of pressing the ball properly. Again, Kang Baek-ho’s bat was late and he struck out on a swing. The fastball thrown to Park Byeong-ho moved more horizontally than vertically, and the RPM of the 3-ball was 2558, the highest on the day. Park Byeong-ho also stepped back with a beomta due to the timing.
An official from the SSG power analysis team explained another secret, saying, “Restriction and RPM are good, but extension is good.” On this day, Lee Ro-Woon pulled the ball forward about 10 cm more than the season average and threw the ball. Even if it is the same velocity, where the ball is placed affects the batter’s perceived velocity. By dragging the fast ball from the front as much as possible, it gave the impression that the heavy ball was coming alive. The power that all the fans confirmed through the TV screen was sufficiently proved by the tracking data.
In the match against Kiwoom in Incheon on the 21st, Lee Rowun threw the ball up to 151.8 km, the highest RPM was 2534 times, and the maximum vertical movement of the fastball reached 54.8 cm. Although his average velocity fell somewhat and his extension decreased slightly as he went into a long fight, he still showed good pitches and finished the inning with two strikeouts and took hold again.
The key is how well he can maintain this strong pitch and lead the season. Roun Lee explained, “He pitches with all his might in every game.” The more you climb, the more your stamina is naturally consumed, and this stamina consumption directly affects your pitch. Until now, the bar has been heavily dependent on strong four-seams, and a decline in the pitch of the four-seams can lead to poor grades. It’s a hump that comes to anyone. More than Lee Roun’s ability to use his weapons and hold on, careful management of his bench has also become important.