'Kim Won-jung taught him the forkball; KBO 1st Round candidate rises' Busan High School right-hander Kwak Do-hyun, 150 km/h: "Whenever Lotte wins at Sajik, I get hooked on baseball" [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kwak Do-hyun (18), a promising right-handed pitcher from Busan High School and a former 'Lotte-rin' (Lotte Giants + children), dreams of being selected in the first round of the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft, which will be held in the second half of this year.

Kwak Do-hyun is a sturdy right-handed pitcher with a height of 195 cm and a weight of 100 kg according to the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA). With an unofficial top speed of 152 km/h and an official top speed of 150 km/h, along with a sharp slider, he has become a player of interest among scouts since last year.

He is considered one of the most promising candidates for a high draft pick in the upcoming KBO Rookie Draft at Busan High School. Scout A from the KBO told StarNews, "Kwak Do-hyun has a high level of slider completion. His pitching quality is excellent. The ball comes into the mitt with good depth. However, rather than just velocity, there is a tendency for him to generate more extra-base hits when contact is made, so we need to watch him play more."

This year, he also attracted the attention of some Major League (ML) scouts from the United States. Another KBO scout, Scout B, said, "Kwak Do-hyun has excellent physical attributes. We have seen his velocity reach up to 147 km/h. He is not the type who has fast velocity but poor control. Although there are some rigid aspects in his mechanics, he has stamina and can throw strikes, making him a player worth developing."

He added, "I heard that MLB scouts also showed interest. In the U.S., there are many players with good physical attributes and fast velocity but poor control. Kwak Do-hyun, however, has similar conditions but with decent control. Given his physical build, if he gains strength, he could grow as much as Hyun-seok Jang (Los Angeles Dodgers)."

Busan High School has a solid history, having won the Cheongryonggi Tournament in 1963 and produced dozens of professional players, but it has always faced challenges in recruiting players due to the presence of many strong teams in the region. Fortunately, since Lee Seung-hak (47), an alumnus, took over as head coach in 2017, the school has begun to revive, once again producing professional players. Coach Lee, who has experience up to the Triple-A level of the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB, is focusing on nurturing future players with a motto of developing baseball players with strong character.

It was Coach Lee who noticed Kwak Do-hyun's potential despite the player being overlooked by strong teams during his middle school days. Kwak Do-hyun underwent surgery on the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of his right elbow in August of his third year of middle school. At that time, he did not have the sturdy build he has now, and since he started playing baseball as a catcher in elementary school, he had relatively little experience as a pitcher. However, under Coach Lee's trust, he showed rapid growth by combining weight training.

Kwak Do-hyun recalled, "I had surgery in middle school and was quite thin, so I didn't think I had many merits. But Coach Lee controlled me well." He continued, "In my third year of middle school, my height was nearly 190 cm, but my weight was only 75 kg. After coming here, I realized the importance of weight training and started going to a personal training center, training even on my days off. I really dislike falling behind others, so I kept working hard."

Currently, he throws a fastball, slider, two-seam fastball, and forkball. Interestingly, the pitch that scouts consider his main weapon (the slider) differs from the one he considers his main weapon (the forkball). Kwak Do-hyun said, "I think the forkball is my main weapon. Of course, I have thrown the slider the most since middle school, so it is true that it is the pitch I trust the most. Even in a 3-ball, 0-strike situation, I can boldly throw the slider into the strike zone."

Jeong Yun-jin, the head coach of Deoksu High School, is known as a legendary high school coach who has won national tournaments 20 times. Recently, he led Deoksu High School to its 27th national title in the 2026 Shinsegae E-Mart National High School Baseball Tournament. Coach Jeong mentioned Kwak Do-hyun as one of the thrilling moments leading up to the finals, specifically the first-round match against Busan High School.

Kwak Do-hyun, who started the game, pitched 7 innings (101 pitches), allowing 5 hits (1 home run), 4 walks (1 walk, 3 hit-by-pitch), striking out 6 batters, and giving up 3 runs. Busan High School was ahead 8-6 in hits, and Deoksu High School nearly lost. Although the final result was a 1-3 defeat for Busan High School, it was enough to put Kwak Do-hyun's name on the map.

Kwak Do-hyun stated, "When I step on the mound, I play aggressively and energetically. That sometimes leads to hits, but I believe my merit lies in throwing pitches that batters know about but still cannot hit." He added, "I like the ABS (Automatic Ball-Strike System), so before the game, I analyze where the umpires tend to call balls and strikes. At that time, they called the high zone well, and 73 out of 101 pitches were strikes. My forkball was slightly off, which was not ideal, but I covered it with the slider."

Nevertheless, competing closely against a top national team boosted his confidence. He also reaffirmed that the passion of his teammates for baseball is no less than that of any prestigious team. Kwak Do-hyun explained, "There is a strong atmosphere of us all striving for good results together. Each player has different strengths and weaknesses, and we constantly talk about learning from each other's strengths. For example, our teammate Kim Min-jae (18) throws an excellent forkball, and I was greatly inspired by him. An Jae-hyun (18), who is a year older, has great pitching quality, and I learned a lot from him."

A Busan boy who loved football had his life changed after being taken to Sajik Baseball Stadium by his father. Kwak Do-hyun said, "I originally wanted to play football, but my father kept wanting me to play baseball. After clashing over this, my father and I went to watch a game at Sajik, and every time Lotte won, I got completely hooked on baseball. Even now, even if I can't attend Lotte games, I keep watching them because they are fun." He smiled.

Kim Won-jung, known as the 'Sajik Guardian,' further solidified the fandom of 'Lotte-rins.' Kim Won-jung, a fellow rookie in the 2012 KBO Draft, currently works as a pitching coach at Busan High School after retiring. He visited Busan High School last year at the request of Park Hwi-seong (34, Lotte 4th Round, No. 37), a coach and former teammate, which led to their connection.

Kwak Do-hyun said, "Around May last year, senior Kim Won-jung visited our school and taught me the forkball. That was the catalyst for me to ask around and refine my skills, and I have been using it as my main weapon since this year." He continued, "Of course, Kim Won-jung is my role model. Mentally, I also look up to Shohei Ohtani. If I make it to the pros, I would like to see Kim Woo-jin's pitches from Kiwoom directly, but I most want to meet Kim Won-jung if I join Lotte." He expressed his fandom.

His goals are as firm as his sturdy physique. Kwak Do-hyun said, "Our team's goal is to reach the quarterfinals of the national tournament. Personally, I also want to be selected in the first round this year. I believe that if I keep working hard while remembering the saying 'the better you do, the more you should humble yourself,' I will achieve my goals. My name may not be widely known yet, but I hope people remember me as a pitcher who should never be underestimated."

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*This content was translated by AI.