KIA Tigers' new foreign pitcher Adam Oler (31) made his first debut by pitching a bullpen in the U.S. spring camp.

According to KIA team officials, Oler threw his first bullpen pitching at the Great Park Baseball Complex in Irvine, California, USA on the 29th.토토사이트

Kia's fans have high expectations for Oler's stellar performance this season. Oler's performance this season is also very important to Kia. Only when Oler is good with James Nail (32), the former first foreign pitcher, can it take a step closer to winning its second consecutive title.

Even before joining Kia, Oler used to be known as "Taegeukgi+Official" to attract a lot of attention. The starting point was a report by KPRC2, a U.S. media outlet, in November last year. Back then, media outlets reported that Oler agreed to a contract with Kia. Oler posted an "X" post containing Ari Alexander's "KIA contract" message after putting three Taegeukgi stickers on his social network service. This has become a fact. In December last year, Kia recruited Oler by offering a total of 1 million U.S. dollars.

Born in Conlow, Texas, U.S., Oler is a right-hander who measures 193 centimeters tall and weighs 102 kilograms. In the Major League, he pitched in 36 games (23 starts) and posted an ERA of 6.54 with one hold. In the Minor League, he pitched in 57 games (45 starts) and posted an ERA of 21 wins, nine losses and two holds with an ERA of 5.01.

In the 2024 season, he started eight games for the Miami Marlins, recording two wins, four losses and an earned run average of 5.31. In addition, he pitched in 18 games (nine starts) in the Minor League, posting four wins, one loss and two holds and an earned run average of 5.30. "He can display fastballs in the 150-kilometer range and high-angle breaking balls," Kia said when recruiting Aller. "Based on this, his strikeout capability stands out," he explained. Above all, Kia expects to secure a spot in the starting rotation as it has ample experience in starting pitchers.

KIA had difficulty forming the mound due to a series of injuries to its starting pitchers last year. Around the same time, Wil Crowe left the team due to an elbow injury after Lee Eui-ri was put on the operating table due to partial damage to the elbow ligament. Cam Aldred and Eric Lauer were recruited as substitutes for Crowe, but they did not perform well. Eventually, while signing a contract with James Nail for now, Oler was newly hired to replace Lauer. If Nail and Oler perform well from the beginning of the season, KIA is likely to gain momentum from the beginning.

For the first time since entering KIA, Oller took the mound. He just started to improve his condition, so he didn't overdo it. After the first bullpen pitching on the day, Oller said through the club, "I threw lightly about 75%. I still have a lot of time, so I'm going to take it step by step. I'm in good shape now."

Aller threw a total of six pitches, including four-seam fastball, cutter, change-up, curveball, slider and glove. He threw a total of 20 pitches, and exited the mound. The maximum speed of fastball was 145 km.

It should be noted that Oler was satisfied with the KBO official ball. Regarding the KBO official ball, Oler said, "It feels a little smaller than the MLB official ball, but I am very satisfied because it fits well with the size of my hand. I think it will serve as an advantage in using various breaking balls." If Oler adapts well to the KBO official ball, he is expected to be able to use more angled breaking balls freely. At this rate, Oler's ball will inevitably be very difficult for Korean hitters to target. This is why KIA fans' expectations for him are growing even more.

Rumors have it that the coaching staff has also expressed satisfaction. "Both Oller and Nailer seem to have worked out well. It was their first bullpen session, but they showed satisfactory pitching," Kia pitching coach Chung Jae-hoon said. "Notably, Oller seemed to have a clear routine on the mound due to his stellar pitching experience as a starting pitcher, and the angle of his breaking ball looked good," he said. "I will prepare well for the opening by gradually increasing the intensity of the remaining bullpen sessions." Will Oller perform well enough in the 2025 season to meet Kia's fans' expectations? First of all, he has a good start.