The Taiwanese Korea bowler, who put WBC to rest, recorded the highest personal speed of 160km! "I can put in the winning team." The head coach praised it

*This content was translated by AI.

Taiwanese national "fireballer" Gurin Ruyi Yang (26, Nippon Ham Fighters), who pitched as Taiwan's starting pitcher at the 2026 World Baseball Classic and tied the Korean lineup, returned to his team and showed off his overwhelming power on the Japanese stage.

Gurinrui took the mound as Nippon Ham's fourth pitcher in an exhibition game against Yakult Swallows at Econ Field in Hokkaido, Japan, on the 22nd, and took the mound in the top of the ninth inning with a maximum speed of 160km/h, drawing cheers from fans.

On the same day, Gurinrui held up to two outs and the fourth fastball thrown against Yakult batter Masuda Shue hit 160km on the electronic display. It was a powerful pitch that broke his previous maximum speed.

On this day, Gurinrui allowed two walks in one inning, which was a bit difficult, but he finished the inning with one strikeout. According to Sports Hochi and others, after the game, Gurinrui said, "The pitching sense was good, but it was not efficient because the number of pitches (29 pitches) was somewhat large. I'm happy that the maximum arrest came out, but the important thing is to finish the inning and catch the outcount," he said, expressing a cool-headed self-reflection.

However, Nippon Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo gave a thumbs up to Gurinrui's pitch. Coach Shinjo said of Gurinrooy's ball, "The catcher who received the ball was also 'very fast.' "Even from the bench, the arm swing was really sharp," he said.

"If you throw that ball, you can put in a must-win group from the seventh to the ninth innings," he said, expressing his intention to use him as a key bullpen resource at the beginning of the season. However, coach Shinjo added, "Ultimately, we plan to use him as a starting pitcher," adding that he expects to add strength to the bullpen in the first half due to team circumstances. There is also a possibility of finishing positions.

Gurinrui is also a familiar name for Korean baseball fans. This is because he started against South Korea in the fourth Group C match of the 2026 WBC first round at Tokyo Dome on the 3rd and showed very close pitching until the fourth inning. He continued to score no runs until the fourth inning and was replaced after being on the verge of first and third bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

At that time, left-hander Lin Wen (minor under Athletics), who took the mound after Gurin Rui Yang, caught Shay Witcomb with a double play, but the third baseman homered and Gurin Rui Yang's earned run went up. The final result of the against South Korea / vs. Korea was one hit, one strikeout and one run by four players. In the end, Taiwan beat South Korea 5-4 after a close game based on Gurin Rui's good pitching.

Gurin Lui is considered Taiwan's next-generation ace who throws fast balls up to mid-150km/h. Gurin Luyi, who dominated the Taiwan Professional Baseball League (CPBL) from the 2018 to 2024 season, moved to the Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB) ahead of the 2025 season. In seven NPB games in the 2025 season, he recorded 2 wins, 2 losses and a 3.62 ERA, and even broke his maximum arrest ahead of the 2026 season opener. Attention is focusing on whether Gurin Ruyi, who is set to be in her second NPB season, will be able to continue her reputation as a "Taiwan Fireballer" in the regular season.

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*This content was translated by AI.