Feel Not My Arm 155km monster who wants to forget frustration a year ago → 5th starter stands tall...How do you feel about the nice ball master? ↑

Jun 05, 2025

Lotte Lee Min-seok for the interview. Reporter Kim Young-rok

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

Colleagues celebrating Lee Min-seok's first win of the season. Photo courtesy = Lotte Giants

"It was a year I wanted to erase from my memory. Right now, just throwing in the first team feels good."

Already, he has secured a starting position. The tall 1m89 and solidly built wide mound feels increasingly reassuring.

Lotte Giants' Lee Min-seok (23) is a monster rookie who throws a fastball of up to 155km. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung is also drawing attention. He allowed six runs until the third inning against SSG Landers on May 5, his first start of the year, but did not replace him. As a result, he showed a strong presence by taking charge of the mound until the fifth inning.

He won his first game of the season against the LG Twins on May 22 (four runs in five innings) and pitched five scoreless innings to SSG, who met again on June 1. Although the game was reversed, the 23-year-old prospect's hard work is a big boost for Lotte, which faced a crisis due to the shaking of the starting lineup.

Lee Min-seok, who met at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 4th, said "I'm trying not to repeat the same mistakes as last year." It was a year that I wanted to erase from my baseball life."

A well-received debut season, and a second-year season in which he said goodbye to an elbow injury just one game after the opening game. Last year, after returning from rehabilitation, Lee Min-seok faced the aftermath of a speechless elbow surgery. If you throw just one inning, the ball speed dropped by 4 to 5 kilometers. 'Exercise-holic' For Lee Min-seok, it was a shock itself.

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

"My elbow is all better, and I've been working hard on my rehabilitation. I thought the body was all made. But even as I threw it, I felt my strength run out. I didn't think it was my arm. I was wondering if I could throw it like before. Confidence gradually disappeared because he couldn't hold out in the first team, and as a result, bad results were repeated. I don't think I've had a full mental day all year."

What was the problem. Lotte pitching coach Joo Hyung-kwang said, `It's an after-effect from a year off, but I don't think I felt it because I'm still a young player. There is no problem with the body anymore, and no matter how well prepared you are, the pitch must eventually get used to it. In the end, physical strength in practice builds up only after throwing a lot. It's different from throwing in the bullpen."

He got a lot of help from Jung Hyun-soo, who he became close to while going back and forth between the 1st and 2nd armies together last year. Jung Hyun-soo suffered unknown pain in high school and played so many innings in college. On the contrary, it was a perfect mentor for Lee Min-seok, who has been suffering from minor injuries since he was young and lacked pitching experience. Yoon Dong-hee, who is famous for his mental skills, also helped a lot.

photo courtesy of Lotte Giants

Last winter was the first off-season dedicated to exercise without minor injuries since wearing Lotte's uniform.

Lee Min-seok opened in the second division this year. 'Being in the second division means that he is inferior to the first-team pitcher at this point. I'll make it well and help you go up' trained himself with the comfort and whipping of Lotte's second-tier coach Kim Yong-hee.

So far, it's more like a fastball-slider two-pitch. Lee Min-seok "I'm good at throwing curves, changeups, and splitters when practicing…I'm trying to throw it as soon as I can. The good thing is that the curve is good these days, and the splitter seems to be getting closer and closer to my hand."

One of the best pitches in Lotte's pitching staff. As he was appointed with strong commitment, his presence began to shine more and more. Lee Min-seok emphasized, "'Last year, I had a hard time with a walk, but I'm trying not to avoid it even if I'm right this year.'"

KBO League Lotte and LG match held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 22nd. Lotte's Lee Min-seok comes down the mound after pitching in the second inning. Busan = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.05.22/

"What the Power Analysis Team always says is that you just have to throw strikes. I can't hit your ball. Even if it's right, keep throwing it. These days, I don't care about the results and I'm trying to just look at the middle and throw it. The results follow, and the director seems to believe more than before. After the last game, the coach said 'It was good today. "Nice ball". I feel like I'm gaining a lot of confidence."

According to the rotation, the game against the Doosan Bears is scheduled to take place on the 6th. Lee Min-seok " (Kim) Min-seok kept on contacting me 'Please throw me a direct ball'…"I struck out and I don't want to get a hit. All you have to do is grab the out."

"This year's goal was all 'Let's throw my ball', but now I'm throwing as a starter…I want to keep my rotation in the first team until the end of the season. Looking at the remaining number of games, I think a total of 20 games will be played, but I will aim for 100 innings in the season (currently 5 games and 25 ⅓ innings). I want to spend a season without getting sick and without regret."