‘End’ competition as hot as ranking… 40 saves must be ‘Salvation King’ business card
Season No. 1, KT (KT) Wiz Park Young -hyun (22) from King Hold (22), KIA (KIA) Tigers Jung Hae -young (24). There are also Lotte Giants Kim Won -joong (32), 2023 rookie draft, and Kim Seo -hyun (21), the youngest of 2023, and the youngest Hanwha Eagles. Who is the strongest finishing pitcher in the unpredictable king’s war?
As the 2025 KBO League has just entered the second half, the competition for the Save King is getting hotter as much as the fierce league ranking. As more than 20 players have saved four more players, there are also expectations that more than one player can come out of the league’s first single season 40 saves. There are only six players with more than 40 saves in the season, including Jung Myung -won, Jin Pil -jung, Oh Seung -hwan, Son Seung -rak, Go Woo -seok, and Seo Jin -yong.
In the competition of all -time save king, this year, especially the young guns are outstanding. It is a heyday of young finish pitchers.
The most leading player in the present time is Park Young -hyun. Park Young -hyun has been in 44 games and has 26 saves (1 win, 4 losses) and an average ERA of 3.18. There are five blon save and 1.50 on -base allowance (WHIP) per inning. Park Young -hyun, who won the title of the Hold Wang (32 Hold) in 2023, has become the final team since last year. Last year, he posted 25 saves, and this year he is challenging the salvation king. When Park Young-hyun gets to the salvation king, he becomes the fourth player who won both Hold and Salvation King in the league following Cho Woong-cheon, Jung Jae-hoon and Jung Woo-ram.
Jung Hae -young, who is a strong back door of the defending champion and the first salvation king (31 saves) last year, is aiming for the salvation king for two consecutive years. Jung Hae -young has recorded 42 games 24 saves (2 wins and 4 losses) and an average ERA of 3.18. The difference from Park Young -hyun is only 2 saves. Blon Save has four times and WHIP is 1.48. Jung Hae -young, who has become a finishing pitcher since 2021, the second year of professional, has achieved 20 saves in the league’s third and fifth consecutive season in the league in June with LG Twins in June.
Brother Kim Won -joong, who was in his 30s, also showed his juniors who were second to compete in the Salvation King. Kim Won -joong has been in the momentum with 36 games, with 24 saves (3 wins and 1 loss) and an average ERA of 1.64. The Blon Save is followed by three and the WHIP is 1.28. In particular, he won 9 saves (1 win) in the recently 10 games, and became a strong team guardian. Kim Won -joong, who took a 150 -safe save in the league in Hanwha on the 18th of last month, has been two -digit saves for six consecutive years until this year, but he has not yet had the title of the salvation king. This is a great opportunity for this season.
Kim Seo -hyun, the end of the extraordinary eagle, is also a big deal. ‘Wild Sing’ Kim Seo -hyun was in charge of firefighters in a hurry while shaking in the early season of Hanwha finishing last year. Kim Seo -hyun played 43 games and raised 22 saves (1 win and 1 loss) and struggled with an average ERA of 1.51. There are only two Blon Save, and WHIP is also 1.15 and is stable. Due to the nature of the save, Kim Seo -hyun’s save opportunities will come more often than other competitors. Kim Seo -hyun’s end -of -the -art skills are likely to come to the salvation king.
By Son Hyun -soo, Byunsoo@hani.co.kr
