Lotte Giants Koo Seung-min (33) revealed his goals for the 2023 season. As I entered my mid-30s, I think maintaining health is my top priority. 메이저놀이터 Koo Seung-min said, “I can’t help thinking about my age. I’m still young at my age, but I always have to think about the risk of injury. I can’t do it like I did when I was young,” he said, saying he would work hard to prevent injuries from spring camp.
Koo Seung-min, who graduated from Cheongwon High School and Hongik University, became the Giantsman with the 52nd overall pick in the 6th round in the 2013 draft. He started to stand out after being discharged from the military, and since 2018 he has been in charge of the Lotte bullpen. He won 20 holds for three consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2022, establishing himself as Lotte’s ‘reliable man’.
As he entered the game, he also accumulated his records one by one. Koo Seung-min played in 315 professional games and recorded 21 wins, 21 losses, 86 holds and 2 saves with an earned run average of 4.50. Now, if he adds just 14 more holds, he can hit the 100 hold high. This is a record that only 12 players have achieved in the history of the KBO League.
If he keeps the pace, he is Koo Seung-min, who can hit the 100-hold high all season right away. However, he repeatedly emphasized that he would not aim for 100 holds. He raised his voice, saying, “I don’t set a goal. The goal is to complete the season.”
This winter, Lotte recruited three free agents as an aggressive investment: catcher Kang-Nam Yoo, shortstop Jin-Hyeok Noh, and pitcher Hyun-Hee Han. Koo Seung-min is also happy to have them join. On the one hand, it was also a stimulant. He said, “I felt that the team is getting stronger. I have to do better. Free agency still feels far away. I have to do well this year.” Koo Seung-min will acquire FA qualification after the end of the 2024 season.
Goo Seung-min has risen to the ranks of second-handers. Last season, he led the pitching team and led the players. He plans to play the role of a senior from the spring camp held in Guam. He smiled, saying, “When I was young, I also owed a lot to my seniors. Now I have to give it back to my juniors. I think I need to do a lot of currency exchange.”