With military service on horizon, pitcher hoping to leave Tigers on positive note

Pitcher Kia Tigers Jung Hai-young, once a top closer in Korean baseball, faces a challenging future as he anticipates military service. The 28-year-old's fortunes have changed drastically in recent years. In 2024, Jung became the first closer in Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) history to win the All-Star fan voting. That year, he set a league record with 31 saves and helped the Tigers clinch the Korean Series title. In 2025, Jung maintained his form with 27 saves, marking his fifth consecutive season with over 20 saves.

However, Jung's season took a turn for the worse in 2026. He struggled out of the gate, eventually being placed in the minor leagues and losing his closer role mid-season. His performance suffered greatly, with a 6.12 ERA, the worst of his seven-year career, and only two saves for the year. In the current season, Jung has been charged with a career-low 34 earned runs in 50 innings.

This is a stark contrast to 2022, when he allowed only 14 earned runs in 50 2/3 innings. Jung's recent performance has been lacking in high-leverage situations, particularly during the postseason. This changed on Monday night, when he stepped up during the first game of the second round against the Samsung Lions in Daegu.