"What are you doing?" He woke up with a rant, and he won the starting game for "a whopping 1640 days"... "My goal is to win 10 games". Choi Minjun's ambition [the scene of Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

"What are you doing?"

He performed a perfect pitch beyond everyone's expectations. Up to the requirement for a winning pitcher, there are three out-counts. Was it because of the thought that the goal in front of him was close. Suddenly, his control shook and he gave up consecutive walks. Kyung Heon-ho (49), the general manager of pitchers, took the mound and gave a blow, and only then was he able to come to his senses and finish the inning without losing a point.

Choi Min-joon (27, SSG Landers) started the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the Kiwoom Heroes at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 2nd and threw 81 pitches in five innings to win his first win of the season with one hit, three outs and five strikeouts.

It was the first start win in as many as four and a half years, or exactly 1,640 days, since the game against the LG Twins in Jamsil (seven scoreless innings) on October 5, 2021.

Choi Min-joon, who was designated as the second round of the SK Wyverns (SSG predecessor) in 2018, began to get a chance in earnest after completing his mandatory military service in the Sangmu. He went between the starting pitcher and the bullpen in 2021 and performed well, but after that, he almost took the opportunity only in the bullpen.

There were also outstanding starting candidates this season, including Mitch White, Anthony Beniziano, Kim Gun-woo, Taketa Shota, Kim Kwang-hyun and Kim Min-joon, but Kim Kwang-hyun, who won 180 games in total, and first-round rookie Kim Min-joon left ahead of the season, and Choi Min-joon was selected as a substitute.

It was hard to have high expectations. He also played in the bullpen in two exhibition games and got a chance to start against the Lotte Giants on the 23rd of last month, but was shaken by three runs (two earned runs) in two ⅔ innings. Before the game, coach Lee said, "I can move faster by watching him throw."

When I opened the lid, I couldn't find a reason to do so. Because there was no shaking at all. He started off anxious by walking leadoff batter Trenton Brooks in the top of the first inning, but then finished the inning by neatly hitting the three batters.

Choi Jung gave a gift with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, and finished the second and third innings without much crisis. The fourth inning was the best. In the Kiwoom, the center batters An Chi-hong, Choi Joo-hwan and Kim Gun-hee turned to KKK. Regardless of the left and right hitters, he used a big curve ball as a decisive ball and hit it properly.

The fifth episode was a crisis. Suddenly, his control was shaken and he gave up a straight walk against Park Chan-hyuk. The catcher visited the mound and encouraged Choi Min-joon, but he allowed a walk again because he could hardly throw a strike against Eo Jun-seo. The first and second bases with no outs are in danger.

Coach Kyung Heon-ho took the mound himself. It has changed completely since then. Choi Min-joon, who turned Park Han-gyeol into a fly ball to center field with a bold fastball, also played a bold game with Choi Jae-young, and eventually ended the inning by inducing a double play that fell in front of the pitcher with a two-seam fastball on his body after the game of seven pitches.

Even after Choi Min-joon went down with a winning requirement with a 5-0 lead, the lineup added five more points and the bullpen kept the lead stable, harvesting the starting victory that waited 1640 days.

The maximum speed of the fastball was 144 kilometers per hour, and he announced a successful start to the season by using a variety of pitches from four-seam (32 pitches) and two-seam (14 pitches) to curves (16 pitches), cutters (9 pitches), sliders (8 pitches), and folk balls (2 pitches).

After the game, head coach Lee Soo-yong praised, "Starting pitcher Min-joon for setting a perfect foothold with five scoreless innings in the situation the team needs."

Choi Min-joon said, "I'm so happy to win the starting title after a long time. My family came and watched the game today. This is the first time my family has come since my professional debut. I was encouraged, and I think I became a winning pitcher thanks to my family," he said.

It was thanks to a word from coach Kyung Heon-ho that he was able to pass the first and second bases with no outs in the fifth inning, which was the biggest crisis of the day. Choi Min-joon, who looked back at the time, said, "The pitch didn't go my way. As the number of pitches increased, he was in crisis, he said. "Coach Kyung Heon-ho came up and said, 'What are you doing?' I was wide awake. I'm glad it didn't flow."

The most impressive weapon of the day was the curve. Other pitches were also quickly acquired. Choi Min-joon said, "Coach Song Sung-young taught me the know-how for the curve," adding, "I learned how to slider from Takeda." Coach Kyung Heon-ho taught me how to fight. It helped me a lot in pitching today," he said.

It was the first time he started the season as a starter, but he won the first game. The most stable pitch among the players in the rotation gave the team a victory. I have a good hunch. Choi Min-joon said, "It took a really long time to win as a starting pitcher," adding, "I want to continue to show good performances in the future. He also expressed his ambition, saying, "I'm not satisfied with today's game and I really want to achieve 10 wins this year."

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*This content was translated by AI.