Consistent routines help bullpen workhorse enjoy success

LG Twins pitcher Kim Jin-sung throws in relief during the top of the eighth inning in a 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League game against the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, May 27. Yonhap

At 40, LG Twins reliever Kim Jin-sung is one of the oldest pitchers in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). But the right-hander is also one of the most durable ones, too.

He appeared in 50 games in the first half of this season, the second-highest total in the league. The Twins have 56 games left this season and Kim could surpass his career high of 80 appearances set in the 2023 season.

"I guess the team has needed me quite a bit so far," Kim said with a smile before the Twins' game against the Lotte Giants was rained out at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "Our trainers have taken good care of me. I don't feel fatigued at all."

As much help as he gets from his trainers, Kim is doing plenty of work himself off the mound.

"I enjoy working out on my own. I can concentrate better that way," he said. "I do a lot of running. I run for 20 minutes before and after games, and spend a lot of time doing calisthenics, too."

Kim extolled the virtues of calisthenics, saying they are more important to relievers than weight training, given the unpredictable nature of their job and their workload.

"I tell my younger teammates that doing these exercises is like depositing money in the bank," said Kim, who sometimes spends about 30 minutes getting stretched on a foam roller. "When you have enough money saved, you can take it out when the going gets tough. And it's so much easier nowadays to look up videos online and try to find the routines that suit you."

LG Twins reliever Kim Jin-sung / Courtesy of LG Twins

For several years, Kim has been among the league leaders in holds but has never lead the league in that category. He ranked third last season with a career-best 27 holds and he has 21 holds this season to find himself in second place, three behind Cho Sang-woo of the Kia Tigers.

The 2024 holds leader, Noh Kyung-eun of the SSG Landers, is tied for fourth with 17 holds this year, but Kim predicted Noh, 41, will make a second-half push and repeat as the holds king.

"He told me earlier in the year that he thought it was my turn to lead the league in holds this time," Kim said of his former middle school teammate. "Honestly, I thought about that earlier in the year. But now, I just want to help the team win games. Once I stopped worrying about holds, I started feeling more relaxed on the mound."

The Twins stumbled a bit toward the end of the first half after a hot start, and they've fallen from first to second in the standings, now 4 1/2 games back of the Hanwha Eagles at 48-38-2 (wins-losses-ties).

Kim said players should all try to take ownership of their own performances.

"We can't afford to be thinking, 'Someone else will get it done.' We shouldn't be passing the buck to teammates," he said. "If each and every one of us can do the job, then it will help the team. We have to hold ourselves accountable and that will put the team in the right direction."