*This content was translated by AI.
"Fireballer" Ahn Woo-jin (27, Kiwoom Heroes), who returned to the mound after 955 days, expressed his honest opinion on advancing to the Major League Baseball (MLB). He expressed his willingness to challenge if his skills were supported, but made it clear that a perfect return as a starting pitcher is the top priority for now.
Ahn Woo-jin started the home game against the Lotte Giants in the "2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League" at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 12th and recorded one hit, one strikeout, and one walk in one inning.
Since it was his first return match since the 2023 season, he not only played one inning but threw only 24 innings, but his arrest drew attention. On this day, Ahn Woo-jin's maximum speed in fastball was 160km/h. Based on Trackman, the KBO League's official speed measurement system, it was 159.6km, the highest speed this season. The previous record was 157km (against Changwon NC on March 29) held by Kwak Bin of the Doosan Bears.
Ahn Woo-jin, who met with reporters after the game, said, "There was no big heart beating or anything like that. Even if you're nervous, you'll feel better if you breathe a few times. Still, I missed the cheers of the fans, but thank you for shouting out loud."
"I thought I would be able to play the game well if the first pitch went in well, but after the first pitch, I felt comfortable. Unfortunately, he gave up walks and hits, respectively, and I think it will get better if we increase the innings of those parts," he added.
Regarding the maximum speed of 160km, Ahn Woo-jin said, "I was going to throw hard as usual. In fact, I didn't do anything like controlling strength and weakness because I didn't throw long and only threw short innings today. The idea was to throw it with a full-strength pitch. Instead, he will adjust the strength and weakness by increasing the number of innings. Next time, I don't think I can continue to throw as strongly as I did today," he explained.
On this day, Ahn Woo-jin also experienced ABS (automatic pitching determination system) for the first time. In response, he expressed caution, saying, "I think I need to do it a little more," but added, "When I faced Noh Jin-hyuk, I thought the change-up was a strike, but it fell out a little bit. I think we need to check those parts and revise them now," he recalled.
Now that he played his first game, his physical condition is important. In response, Ahn Woo-jin said, "I feel like I'm in good condition. Of course, I think I have to sleep and wake up, but I don't think there will be anything like that when I wake up, I don't think it will be very bad because I have never heard my arms or anything like that," he said.
If Ahn Woo-jin plays the future season normally, he will be eligible for posting to enter the Major League immediately after the 2028 season. Analysts say that the registration of the first team, which was a little earlier than expected, is not irrelevant to this. Asked by Star News if he would be willing to challenge posting if he had a chance, Ahn Woo-jin said, "If not only me but all the players do it, I will respond. For now, I think we need to increase the number of innings rather than that part to create a physical condition that can reliably catch seven to eight innings. Failure to do so will not result in such an opportunity. First of all, the first thing to do is to prepare well."
Finally, Ahn Woo-jin said, "The next (Bae) Dong-hyun threw so well. We also talked before the game, and my brother said it was okay. I also want to quickly increase the number of innings and throw it in place, and I want to contribute to the team," he said.
After a successful return ceremony, Ahn Woo-jin plans to completely settle in the starting rotation by gradually increasing the number of pitches and innings in the future. The addition of the starting rotation of the "fireballer," who returned after 955 days of waiting, is expected to be a great boost to Kiwoom's mound management.
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*This content was translated by AI.
