Jack O’Rourke Joins Samsung Lions: What This New Pitcher Brings to the KBO 2026 Season

Daniel Kim 2026.03.17 Views

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Manager Park Jin-man / Photo=DB

[Incheon=Sports Today reporter Shin Seo-young] Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man addressed the media about left-hander Jack O’Rourke, who joined the club as a foreign-player replacement.

Samsung will play an exhibition game on the road against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 17th as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League spring schedule.

Before the game, Samsung announced its starting lineup: Lee Jae-hyun (SS) – Kim Seong-yun (RF) – Choi Hyung-woo (LF) – Diaz (1B) – Kim Young-woong (3B) – Kang Min-ho (DH) – Park Se-hyuk (C) – Ryu Ji-hyuk (2B) – Kim Ji-chan (CF).

The scheduled starter is Lee Seung-min.

Ahead of the game, Park met with reporters for a brief interview.

O’Rourke, a left-hander signed to replace Matt Manning after Manning suffered an acute elbow ligament tear and was ruled out for the season, has joined the team.

Samsung announced on the 16th that it had signed O’Rourke to a six-week short-term contract.

In four major-league appearances, O’Rourke posted a 4.66 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP with no decisions. In the minors, he appeared in 139 games (78 starts), going 19-26 with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.

O’Rourke drew attention during the 2026 World Baseball Classic, representing Australia. He worked 3.1 innings against Korea, allowing one unearned run, and threw three scoreless innings against Taiwan.

Park said, \”He’s here training and looks good. He’s taller than I expected. We welcomed him warmly, but he seemed a bit shy—maybe because it’s his first time here—there’s an innocent quality about him. I asked him to help lead our starting staff. Once he adapts to the ABS, I think he’ll be even better. With his height he creates a good angle; if he locates up and down in the zone, hitters will have a hard time adjusting.\”

On the contract process, Park said, \”We prioritized talks in the U.S. and had him on our list there, but when that fell through we reached out to Australia.\”

He added, \”He looks to be in good shape. We’ll give him rest through the 19th and plan to use him in the second game against the NC Dinos on the 20th. He will probably throw about two innings, roughly 40 pitches. We signed him in part because he’s ready to step into a game right away.\”

Park said he expects O’Rourke to be part of the Opening Day rotation. \”Which spot he’ll take remains to be seen. He needs to build up his pitch count, so we’ll watch that. We’re planning for him to be in the rotation, and how much he shows over the six weeks could determine whether we extend him for another year. If he consistently does his job in the rotation, there’s no reason to replace a pitcher who’s settled in.\”

On Choi Won-tae, who started the previous day and threw five scoreless innings on 49 pitches (two hits, one walk, four strikeouts), Park praised the right-hander: \”As our No. 1 starter, his pitch count was low. I had expected him to reach 70–80 pitches over four innings, but at one point he was under 40, so we sent him back out for another inning. He came into camp in outstanding shape and his conditioning is top-notch. I think he’s poised for a very satisfying season.\”

Park continued, \”Last year his command was uneven at times, but in the second half he gained confidence and composure on the mound. His mental approach improved and he got better. His stuff has always been good, and with fewer weaknesses showing, he really started to click late last season.\”

On the offense, which combined for 11 hits (three home runs) and eight runs in the recent game, Park said, \”Honestly, I don’t see much to worry about with our position players. We don’t have injured hitters and they’re building their conditioning toward the season. If we tidy up the pitching, I think the club will be much more solid overall.\”

Asked about bullpen roles, Park said, \”We haven’t finalized our high-leverage group yet. After today’s game and a day off tomorrow, we’ll have a clearer picture. We’ve leaned on the closer a lot, and that was the case again today. After Lee Seung-min, we often bring in Miyaji and Kim Jae-yoon. With Kim Jae-yoon confirmed as the closer, starting with the next turn we’ll plan to deploy the high-leverage group based on the situation.\”

He added, \”Miyaji has excellent stuff. He’s someone you can use in a crisis. He can generate strikeouts and is the best option to get swings-and-misses in tight situations. He belongs in the high-leverage mix.\”