"The Scouts did a good job of picking them." There's something in Hanwha…7G 8 ⅓ scoreless innings, 'Extreme control' on the fastball corps
"The Scouts did a good job of picking them." There's something in Hanwha…7G 8 ⅓ scoreless innings, 'Extreme control' on the fastball corps
Blog Article
When asked about Moon Dong-ju, who made headlines by throwing 159.7 kilometers per hour at the Munhak SSG match, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said with a smile, "I told him not to look forward to it (because it was my first appearance since shoulder pain). My arm swing turned out better than last year. It was almost the best I've ever seen."바카라
Kim Seo-hyun, who followed Moon Dong-ju, also sprayed up to 156 kilometers per hour to make Hanwha fans full even without eating. Hanwha, which has a "young fireballer trio" including rookie Jung Woo-joo who threw up to 154 kilometers, is full of fastball pitchers such as Cody Ponce, Ryan Weiss, bullpen Han Seung-hyuk and Park Sang-won.
Amid growing interest in Hanwha Eagles, the team's fastball corps, Kim Kyung-moon said, "I'm grateful for (the interest) and fastball can be a source of pride, but I hope the focus isn't on that. In addition to fastball, baseball requires sophisticated ball control. Even a young player like Min-gyu (Kwon) is not good at throwing because he is fast. In baseball, controlling strength and control of ball control by pushing into the elements is very important."
Fastball, which is not meant to be taught, is a blessed talent, and Hanwha, which has consistently gathered top high school fastball pitchers in recent years, is envious of other teams. However, manager Kim emphasized the importance of ball control amid the abundance of fastball, and cited 19-year-old rookie Kwon Min-gyu as an example. Whenever Kwon talked about it, manager Kim said, "The scouts picked it well," and we could see why at the match against Lotte on the 13th.
Kwon, who appeared in relief in the fifth inning after starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, placed both his first fastball and third slider in the zone to grab a two-strike. He had four to five consecutive fouls, but had to swing and strike out with a slider that was lower in his body for the sixth time.
Hwang Seong-bin, a left-handed batter, also threw one or two consecutive sliders and fastballs to the outside, quickly gaining two strikes. Hwang picked up two balls and responded with consecutive fouls, but Kwon Min-gyu swung and missed Hwang with a low fastball on the outside for the seventh time. He drew Hwang's swing with a strike-like ball that slightly deviated from the borderline.
He only faced two batters and went down, but Kwon Min-gyu's strengths were revealed. He was aggressive with 10 strikes out of 13 pitches. Both fastballs and sliders had control of strikes, so it was possible.
Kwon Min-gyu, who joined Hanwha as the 12th overall pick in the second round this year, showed off his extreme ball control by allowing only four walks in 54 ⅓ innings when he was a senior in high school last year. He was pushed to the second round in the 2025 rookie draft, which is full of fastball pitching resources, but Hanwha did not miss it. Initially, Hanwha considered naming a fielder in the second round, but when Kwon Min-gyu remained, he called his name without hesitation.
He was expected to gain momentum immediately, but he is adapting himself to the professional stage faster than expected. In four games (first starting pitcher) that spanned from Melbourne in Australia to the Okinawa Spring Cam in Japan, he gave a strong impression by allowing one hit, one walk, seven strikeouts and allowing no runs in five ⅔ innings. He also had two holds. He gave no runs in seven games, seven ⅓, including camp practice games, and eight ⅔. He gave only two hits and one walk, while striking out 10 times. He seems to have a sense of stability that is not comparable to a 19-year-old high school graduate.
During the era of "restraint revolution," Kwon said, "I once had pain in my arm due to greed for restraint in high school, but I don't throw too much afterwards. I am confident in my control. I will survive through my control rather than my speed." However, Kwon's fastballs were competitive enough in the game against Lotte on the day, with a maximum speed of 146 kilometers per hour and an average speed of 143 kilometers per hour. If he gains more power, he will become Hanwha's favorite.