“I will win every game I start this season.”
Wes Benjamin of kt Wiz came out as a starter in the second leg of the exhibition match against Kiwoom Heroes in the 2023 KBO League held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 14th.
Benjamin is an outsider who joined as a substitute for William Cuevas midway through last season. However, his performance was ace level. He appeared in 17 regular season games, where he went 5-4 with a 2.70 ERA. In particular, he showed remarkable fighting spirit from the second half of the season to the postseason.메이저사이트
kt signed a new contract with Benjamin, who performed at his best, with a huge sum of 1.3 million dollars.
Preparation for the season went well. He gained about 3 kg in weight and recorded a maximum velocity of 150 km in spring camp bullpen pitching. KT coach Lee Kang-cheol has already dropped Benjamin as a starter for the opening game of the 2023 season, which opens on April 1.
The pitching that day wasn’t bad either. He gave up 2 hits, 4 strikeouts and 1 run in 2.2 innings (visa book). On this day, Benjamin recorded fastballs (24), two-seam (10), cutter-change-up (more than 5), slider (2), and curve (1). It was perfect up to the 2nd inning, and it was regrettable that the fielder made two errors in the 3rd, but the other parts were flawless. His best speed was 149 km.
Thanks to Benjamin’s good pitching in the early stages, kt also won 11-1. After the game, kt head coach Kim Tae-gyun also praised, saying, “Benjamin’s performance was good, and he is preparing well for the opening game.”
After the game, Benjamin said, “It is a new feeling to play for the first time this season in Gocheok, where we played the last game last season. My goal this season is to increase the number of innings. I will prepare my physical condition in time for the opening.”
How did you see the game today? He said, “Because it was my first appearance, I put a lot of energy into my body in the first inning. In the second and third innings, I relaxed my body and focused on the ball.”
Last season, it was blocked by Kiwoom Heroes, so it was unfortunate that it did not make it to the playoffs. This season, we are more determined than ever. As it is a season in which you have to play as the team’s first starter, there is a will to win every game.
Benjamin said, “Because I think the team’s strength this season is good, I think I can go up to fall baseball. I will try to win every game I play this season.”