'Top speed of 157 km/h' An Woo-jin reveals it himself! The reason for throwing 61% breaking balls: "My pitching feel is not yet perfect..."

*This content was translated by AI.

Kiwoom Heroes 'ace' An Woo-jin (27) showcased powerful velocity and more mature defensive battles in his second appearance on the 1st team roster since returning from injury. While throwing a fastball reaching up to 157 km/h, he opted for an unprecedented strategy of using breaking balls for over 60% of his pitches, explaining that he focused on regaining his game feel.

On the 18th, An Woo-jin started against KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League', recording two innings with three hits allowed, one strikeout, and one run. This is seen as a successful build-up for his return following his first appearance.

In the first inning, An Woo-jin effectively recorded one out but induced a ground ball to the third baseman from Kim Sang-soo. However, a throwing error by Kim Ji-seok and a hit by Kim Hyun-soo put him in a dangerous situation with one out and runners on first and second. He then induced a double play from shortstop Jang Seong-woo to extinguish the immediate threat. In the second inning, with one out and a runner on first, he allowed a two-run double by Jang Jun-won that hit the wall, giving up one run. However, he handled subsequent batters with routine outs and completed his mission without allowing any additional runs.

Although An Woo-jin's fastest fastball reached 157 km/h today, what stood out even more was his pitching content. Of the 28th pitches he threw in total, only 11 (39%) were fastballs. Instead, he mixed in 17 breaking balls, including seven sliders, six curveballs, and four changeups. The ratio of breaking balls reached a remarkable 61%.

After the game, An Woo-jin stated that the breaking-ball-focused pitching was "intentional". He explained that "I especially tried to use more curveballs today" and "since my pitching feel is not yet perfect, I aimed to get a feel for it by throwing various types of pitches in actual competition". He added, "I am satisfied that the slider among the breaking balls was effective".

He showed strong confidence regarding his physical condition. Immediately after finishing his pitching, An Woo-jin said, "There is no major issue at the moment. The blisters have fully healed, and my shoulder and elbow are fine. I will know more after I wake up, but I don't expect any special problems". He also noted, "In the previous game, I focused on giving my all for one inning, but this time I aimed to make various attempts over two innings".

Although he allowed one run, the ace's presence remained strong. An Woo-jin declared, "I am not 100% satisfied, but I will continue to adjust through each appearance", and "I will communicate well with my catcher, (Kim) Geon-hee, in my next appearance to maintain a good flow".

Having proven his robustness through two return appearances, An Woo-jin is expected to continue his successful build-up, which will also accelerate the stabilization of Kiwoom's starting rotation, currently at the bottom of the standings.

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*This content was translated by AI.