With military service on horizon, pitcher hoping to leave Tigers on positive note
Over the past three seasons, Kia Tigers reliever Jung Hai-young has gone from one of the top closers in Korean baseball to a pitcher who could no longer be trusted in key spots. The fall has been jarring. In 2024, Jung became the first closer to top the All-Star fan voting in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history. He led the league with 31 saves that year and helped the Tigers win the Korean…
Korea's Jung Hai-young, once a top closer in the KBO, faces uncertain future with Tigers
Jung Hai-young, the reliever for Korean baseball's Tigers, has experienced a dramatic decline over the past three seasons. In 2024, he became the first closer to top fan voting in the Korean Baseball Organization's history, leading the league with 31 saves and helping the Tigers win the Korean Series. However, 2025 saw him pile up 27 saves, a feat he'd achieved five times previously.
Yet, 2026 brought challenges. He struggled out of the gate, spending time in the minors and losing his closer role. Jung finished the year with a 6.12 ERA, the worst of his career, and secured only two saves. His performance this postseason has been particularly troublesome, with him giving up 34 earned runs in 50 innings, a significant drop from his previous season's 14 in 50 2/3 innings.
The Tigers are now under pressure to find a way to get Jung back on track, fearing the loss of his leadership in high-pressure situations.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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