Even though we couldn’t complete the 5th episode, we got a standing ovation… Moon Dong-joo, who is heading to AG, has the greatest talent of all time in his second year.

An unusual scene occurred at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 3rd, when a professional baseball game between the LG Twins and Hanwha Eagles was held. The starting pitcher, who had given up 11 hits to the opponent’s batting lineup, came down from the mound before completing the fifth inning and was met with a standing ovation from the audience. Colleagues, seniors and juniors lined up in front of the dugout to greet the pitcher.

The main character of Jinpunggyeong was Hanwha Moon Dong-ju. The pitch that day was his last appearance in professional baseball this year. Even though there were more than 30 games left until the end of the regular season, they ‘pulled the shutter down’ early. It was a decision made by the coaching staff to protect him, who suffered an injury last year, and to protect the future of the team.

Although he did not achieve the final success, Moon Dong-joo’s second season as a professional was decent. His consistency stood out the most. As of the 4th, he had 8 wins, tied for first place on the team, and recorded an ERA of 3.72 over 118⅔ innings.

The basis was top-level ball speed. He became a new generation jockey who will lead the ‘speed revolution’ of Korean baseball along with Kiwoom Heroes Ahn Woo-jin. According to Stats, Moon Dong-joo’s fastball pitch value this season ranked third among league starting pitchers. His average velocity was 151.6 km/h. In the game against the KIA Tigers on April 12, he became the first native pitcher in professional baseball history to surpass the 160 km/h barrier.

His pace control and breaking ball completion also improved. The slider and changeup were sharpened, and the curve velocity was lowered compared to last year. Walks per 9 innings were reduced from 4.4 to 3.19. He laid the foundation for his transformation from a fastball prospect on every team to a leading ace in the league.

Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho also did not spare praise. He said, ‘My horizons have broadened.’ In a small way, there has been a change in the pitching tempo when a runner goes out. He laughed and said, “Before, Dong-ju blindly tried to throw hard,” and added, “Even if he throws lightly, isn’t it 150 kilometers per hour?”

Although Moon Dong-joo has shown remarkable growth, it is difficult to guarantee he will be the Rookie of the Year this year. There are many new players in both pitching and batting, but among them, KIA Yoon Young-cheol, who can challenge for 10 wins in the remaining games, is a strong opponent.안전놀이터

Instead, Moon Dong-ju has one chance to ‘level up’ that his Rookie of the Year contenders do not have. He has joined the national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games, which will take place at the end of this month. This is a great opportunity to gain experience in international competitions in the adult national team where you were selected for the first time.

Standing in front of reporters after the game the previous day, Moon Dong-ju expressed his strong aspirations. “I will prepare harder for the Asian Games, even if it is because of my regret (about my pitching in the final game).” It was a resolution worthy of capping off a chapter in the growth of the next-generation Korean baseball ace.