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Giants pitcher Park Se-woong aims for changeup in postseason fortunes

Published: 29 Jul. 2025, 15:28 Updated: 29 Jul. 2025, 16:12

Lotte Giants pitcher Park Se-woong poses during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on May 20. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Lotte Giants pitcher Park Se-woong still remembers his last taste of the KBO postseason — an outing that ended in tears.

Back in 2017, the Giants reached the postseason for the first time in five years. The club was in seventh place halfway through the season, but climbed up to third to secure a spot in the first round of the playoffs.

In the best-of-five series against the NC Dinos, the two teams went all the way to Game 5.

The Giants handed the ball to then-21-year-old Park, who had collected 12 wins that season.

But in the biggest game of his career, he struggled. He gave up 6 hits, 2 walks and 3 earned runs across 4 innings, striking out 2. The Giants lost 9-0 in Game 5 and bowed out of the playoffs.

Seven seasons later, the Giants are once again in playoff contention and Park, now 29, is at the center of the team’s success.

The Giants entered the All-Star break — which falls in the middle of a season — in third place and have stayed in the top five since.

Park, nicknamed “the glasses ace” for his signature eyewear, picked up his 10th win of the 2025 season on July 23 against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul, which marked the fourth double-digit win season of his career.

“A few days ago, I ran into manager Kim Tae-hyoung at the hotel and he told me, ‘You’ve already got nine wins, just go out there and pitch without overthinking,’” Park said. “That one sentence gave me so much confidence."

Lotte Giants pitcher Park Se-woong pitches during a KBO game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on March 23. [YONHAP]

“There were a few starts after my eighth win where I couldn’t hit the target well, and that’s why I gave up a lot of runs. I talked with the catchers about it and worked hard to fix the problem.”

Park’s career-high remains the 12 wins in 2017, but he has a real chance to surpass it this season. He credits his improvement to a stat called "vertical movement" — a measure of how much a fastball resists downward drop.

All pitches fall due to gravity, but a good fastball appears to stay up longer or even rise slightly to the hitter’s eye. A pitch with greater vertical movement drops less than expected, making it harder for batters to hit.

“This year, my vertical movement improved by about 10 centimeters (3.9 inches),” Park said. “After a disappointing season last year [six wins and 11 losses], I spent the winter thinking about what went wrong. I talked with the coaches and the analytics team, and we concluded that vertical movement was the issue.

“To improve it, I raised my release point and worked harder in training.”

Park added that pitches that used to drop to 40 centimeters above home plate are now landing at about 50 centimeters.

The 2017 postseason remains the only one of Park’s career. Though it ended abruptly, it marked the moment he emerged as a potential ace.

“To be honest, when I think back to that time, I feel more regret than joy,” he said. “We secured a playoff spot first and were waiting for the other side, but then we lost Game 5 like that.

“Still, I learned a lot. I got a feel for the atmosphere of postseason baseball, and I realized that there really is no such thing as an unimportant game.”

Now, no longer a rising talent but a veteran leader, Park has once again set his eyes on the postseason.

With two-thirds of the season behind them, the Giants remain in third place and on track to return to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

The Lotte Giants celebrate during a KBO game against the Hanwha Eagles at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on May 23. [NEWS1]

“I’ve been with the Giants for over a decade now,” Park said. “It’s not my actual hometown, but it feels just as familiar and warm.

“We’ve got another shot. The team is stronger than it was eight years ago, and I’ve gained more experience. I’ll do everything I can to give our fans a thrilling postseason win.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]