1. Early life and background
Jin Hae-soo's early life included a name change and his foundational education within the South Korean school system.
1.1. Birth and name change
Jin Hae-soo was born on June 26, 1986. His birth name was 진민호Jin MinhoKorean, which he later changed to Jin Hae-soo.
1.2. Education
He attended Dongsam Elementary School, Gyeongnam Middle School, and Bukyeong High School before beginning his professional baseball career.
2. Professional career
Jin Hae-soo's professional baseball journey has seen him play for multiple teams in the KBO League, starting with the KIA Tigers and progressing through trades to the SK Wyverns, LG Twins, and currently the Lotte Giants.
2.1. KIA Tigers (First stint)
Jin Hae-soo was selected by the KIA Tigers in the 2nd round of the 2005 KBO League rookie draft, though he joined the team a year later after a year of academic leave. He began making regular appearances in the 2007 season. On May 3, 2007, he made his professional debut as a starting pitcher against the Lotte Giants, recording 6 innings pitched with 1 earned run.
2.2. Sangmu Baseball Team
Immediately following the 2009 KBO League season, Jin Hae-soo enlisted in the military and served his mandatory term with the Sangmu Baseball Team, the military's professional baseball club.
2.3. Return to KIA Tigers
After completing his military service, Jin Hae-soo returned to the KIA Tigers in 2011 and resumed his professional career with the team.
2.4. SK Wyverns
Jin Hae-soo faced instability in his performance in the bullpen, often struggling in critical situations, which led to his demotion to the minor leagues. On May 6, 2013, he was involved in a significant 2:2 trade, moving to the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) along with Kim Sang-hyun from the KIA Tigers, in exchange for Song Eun-beom and Shin Seung-hyun from the SK Wyverns.
2.5. LG Twins
On July 24, 2015, Jin Hae-soo was part of another substantial 3:3 trade, moving from the SK Wyverns to the LG Twins. This trade also involved Lim Hoon and Yeo Geon-wook joining the LG Twins, while Shin Dong-hoon, Shin Jae-woong, and Jeong Ui-yoon moved to the SK Wyverns. Following the 2019 season, he qualified for FA status and re-signed with the LG Twins for a 3-year contract worth a total of 1.40 B KRW.
2.6. Lotte Giants
On November 27, 2023, Jin Hae-soo was traded to the Lotte Giants in exchange for the Lotte Giants' 5th round draft pick in the 2025 KBO League rookie draft. He is currently active with the team.
3. Playing style and reception
Jin Hae-soo's performance fluctuations have led to a variety of nicknames among fans. When he pitches well, he is affectionately known as '진해수도방위사령관Jin Hae-soo Capital Defense CommanderKorean' or '진해수호신Jin Hae-soo Guardian GodKorean', reflecting his role in protecting the team's lead. However, when he struggles on the mound, he is sometimes referred to as '진해수소폭탄Jin Hae-soo Hydrogen BombKorean', indicating a less favorable outcome. Notably, after the 2018 season, he was primarily known by the less flattering "Hydrogen Bomb" moniker, but from the 2019 season onwards, he improved his earned run average to below 4.00, earning him the "Guardian God" nickname and a more positive perception.
4. Personal details and trivia
A notable personal incident in Jin Hae-soo's life occurred just before his trade to the SK Wyverns: his father passed away. The cause of his father's death was a trailer falling into the sea from the Gwangandaegyo Bridge in Busan.
5. Career statistics
The following table summarizes Jin Hae-soo's major pitching records by year and team in the KBO League. Bolded numbers indicate the highest record for that particular season.
| Year | Team | ERA | G | CG | SHO | W | L | SV | HLD | WPCT | TBF | IP | H | HR | BB | HBP | SO | R | ER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | KIA | 11.57 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 27 | 4⅔ | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| 2007 | 6.75 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 166 | 36 | 47 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 27 | 27 | |
| 2008 | 5.06 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | 55 | 10⅔ | 12 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 6 | |
| 2009 | 10.38 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.333 | 46 | 8⅔ | 11 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 10 | |
| 2012 | 5.27 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0.333 | 185 | 41 | 48 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 24 | 29 | 24 | |
| 2013 | SK | 5.55 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0.286 | 223 | 48⅔ | 52 | 4 | 25 | 5 | 40 | 34 | 30 |
| 2014 | 7.16 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0.000 | 236 | 49 | 67 | 8 | 27 | 3 | 37 | 39 | 39 | |
| 2015 | LG | 5.72 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.500 | 128 | 7⅓ | 29 | 2 | 16 | 5 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
| 2016 | 4.67 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 0.000 | 254 | 54 | 57 | 5 | 37 | 2 | 54 | 30 | 28 | |
| 2017 | 3.93 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 0.500 | 221 | 52⅔ | 52 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 48 | 23 | 23 | |
| 2018 | 7.21 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0.400 | 210 | 43⅔ | 63 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 37 | 37 | 35 | |
| 2019 | 3.43 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0.750 | 185 | 42 | 44 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 38 | 17 | 16 | |
| 2020 | 4.32 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0.667 | 230 | 50 | 54 | 3 | 23 | 4 | 59 | 27 | 24 | |
| 2021 | 2.44 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1.000 | 188 | 44⅓ | 41 | 2 | 18 | 3 | 39 | 17 | 12 | |
| 2022 | 2.20 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1.000 | 180 | 45 | 39 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 35 | 13 | 12 | |
| 2023 | 3.68 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | 72 | 14⅔ | 18 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 6 | |
| 2024 | Lotte | 6.18 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0.667 | 128 | 27⅔ | 36 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 22 | 21 | 19 |
| Career | 16 seasons | 5.02 | 788 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 31 | 2 | 157 | 0.446 | 2734 | 601 | 682 | 53 | 274 | 42 | 491 | 364 | 335 |