Kiwoom Heroes bring back starter Jokisch for 4th season in KBO

All News 11:09 December 30, 2021

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- The Kiwoom Heroes announced Thursday they will bring back starter Eric Jokisch for his fourth season in South Korea.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Jokisch, 32, has agreed to a new one-year deal worth US$1.3 million. He made $900,000 this year.

Jokisch tied for the KBO lead with 16 wins in 2021, while ranking second with 181 1/3 innings pitched and fourth with a 2.93 ERA.

In this file photo from Oct. 30, 2021, Kiwoom Heroes' starter Eric Jokisch pitches against the Kia Tigers in the bottom of the third inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)

He won the ERA title in 2020. Since 2019, his first in the KBO, Jokisch has posted the league's lowest ERA with 2.76 and lowest walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP) with 1.13. The left-hander is also third overall in wins (41), strikeouts (387) and innings pitched (522 1/3) in that span.

The Heroes have filled their foreign player quota for 2022. They earlier added former major league All-Star Yasiel Puig to their lineup, and signed a new pitcher Tyler Eppler.

KBO teams are allowed to sign a maximum three players from overseas but cannot carry more than two pitchers.

Of the 10 teams in the KBO, the Doosan Bears and the Kia Tigers have yet to complete their foreign player signings.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)

Keywords