*This content is generated by AI translation.
Five years after its implementation, another player is ready to make a move in the golden draft that has produced more than eight national representatives. Although he is a left-handed pitcher, Cho Won-tae (23 years old) of the LG Twins throws a fast ball with a speed of 148 kilometers per hour.
On the 23rd of this month, on the eve of the LG spring training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, before going abroad, Jo Won-tae was interviewed by reporters at Incheon International Airport and said with a smile: “When I was in the army, (Moon) Dong-joo was the rookie king, (Kim) Doyoung was the MVP in 2024, and (Ahn) Hyun-min was the rookie king after he retired. I saw him really playing baseball with his terrible friends.”
The 2022 KBO rookie selection competition, which focuses on people born in 2003, is called the “Super Dafa Draft”. Starting with Moon Dong-joo (23 years old, • Hanwha Eagles) who won the Rookie of the Year title in 2022, to 2023 retainer Wang Park Young-hyun (23 years old, KT Wiz), 2024 MVP Kim Do-young (23 years old, KIA Tigers), and 2025 rookie Wang An Hyun-min (23 years old, • KT), the main players of Korean baseball have emerged one after another.
In addition to the championship title, the Blue Lion duo Lee Jae-hyun (23 years old), Kim Young-young (23 years old and above, Samsung Lions), and next-generation franchise star Yoon Dong-hee (23 years old, Lotte Giants), etc., can form the starting lineup of the national team alone.
Judging from the expectations when he joined the team, he was no less than Zhao Yuantai. After graduating from Saturn Elementary School (Gangdong District Framework), Kunda High School, and Shanlin Network High School, Cho Won-tae entered the LG team as a first-time designated player and is a left-handed pitcher. Throwing a fast ball with a top speed of 148 kilometers per hour, the three teams in Seoul were in trouble until the end, and eventually became the last designated players of the current LG team.
But growth has been slow. In the first year of his debut, he debuted with an average of 0 points in 2 games for the first team, but he had problems controlling the ball. As of 2023, he has played 26 games and 84 innings in the Future League, with 56 batters and an ERA of 6.86. In the end, the National Army Sports Corps (Shangwu) failed to enlist and returned to the LG team in May last year.
The pitching skills of the returning LG team are even higher. As for left-handed pitchers, players such as Son Ju-young and Song Seung-ki are in the starting lineup, and players such as Ham Deok-soo and Lachlan Wells are also on the bench. Among the newly promoted players such as Park Joon-sung and Cho Gun-hee who are advancing together, they are also expected to become left-arm pitchers.
In this regard, Cho Won-tae said, “The left-handed pitchers of the LG team are very strong now. If I can’t beat here, I don’t think I can go anywhere. I will try my best to work in the direction where I can win. With the positive idea of being able to carry out image training itself, we have made a lot of preparations in the offseason, so we are looking forward to achieving good results.”
So a lot of preparations were made. In order to get rid of the straight ball-sliding curve ball Two Peach, he devoted himself to pitch development and proficiency. Cho Won-tae said, “I am very confident in the straight ball. I am confident that I can throw the straight ball without being hit by the opponent. I also practiced a lot with the change ball in order to prevent the original sliding curve ball from floating. I felt a little floaty before, so I wanted to get the angle faster.”
He continued, “Because there are no change-ups and pitches for left-handed hitters, I have been working hard to prepare pitches since the end of the pitching training camp. I have asked Dejou many times about the changeup, and it is really difficult. Deju’s grip is really a grip that only he can throw, so for me, short hitting is the best choice.”
For the past seven months, he has been focusing on fitness. Now that I have been on active duty, the top priority is to get back the feeling of actual combat. Cho Won-tae said, “After being discharged from the army, I carried out military transition activities for three months. However, starting from the beginning of August, I played residual army training games in the 3rd Army, but my body did not improve. The ball control and balance were not good, so I set goals again to improve my body speed.”
He also said, “I trained hard with Coach Choi Sang-deok, and although the results were not satisfactory in the Ulsan Autumn League, I achieved results. During the practice match at the end of the season, the maximum ball speed reached 148 kilometers per hour. In the game against the Cheongbaek team, 146 also appeared repeatedly. The more games I played in the Ulsan team, the more tired I felt. I did a lot of research to create a pitching posture that is not burdensome.”
Since the record of the first team is only 4 games, he still has the qualifications for the Rookie King. But this is the first time the LG team, which is less impatient and more mature, has been nominated. Jo Won-tae said: “My friends who were born in 2003 have all written the best scripts. In fact, being the Rookie King is not my goal. Now I will try to shorten my goals first.”
He continued: “It has been nearly three years since the spring training camp. My first goal is to be lucky enough to go to the United States and leave a good impression. I think that I can only enter the first team without getting sick, so I try to exercise as much as possible. I want to perform well, participate in the second training camp in Okinawa, participate in the exhibition game, and be included in the opening roster.”
© STARNEWS. Reprinting or redistribution without permission is prohibited
*This content is generated by AI translation.
