Does this make sense to throw a fastball to the god's level at 144km, 130km, does this make sense?

Mar 11, 2025

Does this make sense to throw a fastball to the god's level at 144km, 130km, does this make sense?
In a practice game between KT and KIA at Kin Stadium in Okinawa, Japan on the 3rd, KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong is pitching hard. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.03.03/



You can control your fastballs...You've reached the level of God.

KIA Tigers 'Great Pitcher' Yang Hyun-jong is smoothly improving his physical condition ahead of the opening of the regular season.

Yang Hyun-jong started the exhibition game against the NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park on the 11th and pitched four innings of one run, raising expectations for the 2025 season. It was obvious that Kim Hyung-joon, the leader of the third inning, gave Kim Joo-won a timely hit after catching two outcounts, but he showed stable pitching overall. He threw 65 pitches in four innings, allowing three hits, one walk, five strikeouts, and one run.




KIA manager Lee Bum-ho "Yang Hyun-jong was in charge of four innings as planned. He praised his condition in time for the regular season. Yang Hyun-jong himself also "I think his condition overall has improved compared to the Okinawa practice game in Japan. I feel like I'm well prepared as planned."

Does this make sense to throw a fastball to the god's level at 144km, 130km, does this make sense?
KIA Yang Hyun-jong is pitching hard in a practice game between Hanwha and KIA at Kin Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, on the 25th. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.02.25/
Yang Hyun-jong threw 44 fastballs, 11 changeups, eight curves, and two sliders on the day. But what stands out is the fastball speed. It shot up to 144 kilometers. The important thing was the minimum restraint. 130 km. The difference between the best and the lowest was huge.

Pitchers can take different constraints, but the difference is not significant. Especially if it's a fastball. The breaking ball is relatively easier to control the speed, but the fastball intentionally slows down and is not easy to throw. NC Lee Yong-chan, who faced off as a starter on the day, recorded a maximum of 146km and a minimum of 141km. In most cases, the ball speed drops due to poor strength or poor balance, and few pitchers intentionally throw slow fastballs.




Does this make sense to throw a fastball to the god's level at 144km, 130km, does this make sense?
KIA Yang Hyun-jong is pitching hard in a practice game between Hanwha and KIA at Kin Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, on the 25th. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.02.25/
There was a reason. It was very deliberate. Yang Hyeon-jong "I tried to control the strength and weakness of the fast ball today. I did a lot of tests in various ways. It's an exhibition game, so I think it's good to test it out in various ways" he said.

If the fastball restraint can be freely adjusted in this way, it can have the same effect as adding another breaking ball type. In addition, he threw a slow ball. If you go fast, the 140km ball may feel like 150km from the batter's point of view.

Yang Hyun-jong was a tremendous power character when he was young, but as he got older, he became a pitcher of the style of 'Naughty Boy' who plays with a combination of location and ball. Adjusting the strength and weakness of the fastball should be viewed as the same extension technique. Will he be able to control his fastballs and cook batters during the regular season.






This article was translated by Naver AI translator.