Official match in 174 days → No injuries! A catcher in his 5th year of ML-class throwing, should he get a ticket for a promising player…Starting with the exhibition game.

Mar 10, 2025

Official match in 174 days → No injuries! A catcher in his 5th year of ML-class throwing, should he get a ticket for a promising player…Starting with the exhibition game.
photo courtesy of Lotte Giants



Official match in 174 days → No injuries! A catcher in his 5th year of ML-class throwing, should he get a ticket for a promising player…Starting with the exhibition game.
photo courtesy of Lotte Giants
Official match in 174 days → No injuries! A catcher in his 5th year of ML-class throwing, should he get a ticket for a promising player…Starting with the exhibition game.
photo courtesy of Lotte Giants
"Soup?"Now that I'm in camp, I don't think I'll be able to miss the opening game because of my injury."

The confidence of Lotte Giants Son Sung-bin (24) has become a reality. He also left a strong impression on the head coach on the first-team stage after a long time.

Son Sung-bin played as a substitute in the exhibition game against the KIA Tigers at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 9th and wore a mask for the rest of the game. Based on the official KBO game, it is the first time in 173 days since the game against the Hanwha Eagles on September 15 last year.




In October last year, as the scope of wrist surgery increased, rehabilitation became longer than scheduled. As he is a young catcher and played with injuries at the end of last season, there were also worried about the timing of his return.

Official match in 174 days → No injuries! A catcher in his 5th year of ML-class throwing, should he get a ticket for a promising player…Starting with the exhibition game.
Son Sung-bin, whom we met at Taiwan's spring camp. Reporter Kim Young-rok
However, Son Sung-bin, who met at the Taiwan spring camp last time, was enthusiastic about his physical condition, saying, "(Kim Tae-hyung) can play in the opening game if coach calls him." In addition, following the registration of the first team on the day, he silenced his concerns by showing active movements in the real game.

In particular, in the top of the ninth inning, KIA's second baseman Hong Jong-pyo was caught as a check. As the batter took a bunt position, the lead width of the runner on second base was long. As soon as he caught the ball, he quickly sprayed the ball to second base to get out the runner who couldn't turn. In a fierce 0-0 match, KIA's last attempt to score was thoroughly blocked.




Originally, Son Sung-bin was a catcher who received attention for his agile movements and strong shoulders, even though he was hit hard from the time he joined Lotte with the first nomination. The pop time was around 1.8 seconds, similar to the career average (1.85 seconds) of Major League Baseball's legendary catcher Yardier Molina, drawing even hotter attention. A bullet-like throw that makes opponents nervous is a bonus. On this day, he showed a shot without regret and raised the alarm about the runners who will face Lotte this season.

Official match in 174 days → No injuries! A catcher in his 5th year of ML-class throwing, should he get a ticket for a promising player…Starting with the exhibition game.
photo courtesy of Lotte Giants
At-bat, he walked and hit a double play one by one. He transformed into a more powerful swing when he met batting coach Lim Hoon last year. Last year, Yoo Kang-nam's season out showed off his slugging power that could not be ignored by shooting six home runs while playing 171 at-bats in 86 games.

Catchers are considered a position that takes a lot of effort to raise. In particular, experienced veterans have strengths in coping with situations and ball mixing. There are many players who wear masks even in their 40s, such as KIA coach Jin Gap-yong and Samsung Lions coach Kang Min-ho during their active days. As a result, it is more difficult to raise a newcomer.




Official match in 174 days → No injuries! A catcher in his 5th year of ML-class throwing, should he get a ticket for a promising player…Starting with the exhibition game.
photo courtesy of Lotte Giants
Son Sung-bin has been growing well since his debut, receiving a lot of opportunities. Son Sung-bin, a native of Jangan High School, wore a Lotte uniform as the first designation in 2021. He finished his military service early, and he is already in his fifth year as a professional.

Kim Jin-wook and Na Seung-yeop, who were in the same period as the draft, have grown into one of the pillars of their pitching and hitting, and Son Sung-bin is also about to establish his position in the team little by little. Now we need to show a clear exclamation point. First of all, this year's start is impressive.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.