"I love Huardo, an indispensable presence." Samsung manager Park Jin-man offers high praise again and again... 39 innings, 4 walks, Quality Start in every game: "Getting scarier by the day"

*This content was translated by AI.

"I love Huardo."

These were the words of Park Jin-man (50), manager of the Samsung Lions. Whenever the team's foreign pitcher Huardo (30) came up in conversation, he could not hide the smile on his face.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the game against the Doosan Bears at Seoul Jamsil Stadium on the 29th, Manager Park said of Huardo, who started the previous day, "His pitch count was a bit low, and the team was on a seven-game losing streak, so I had hoped he would complete a shutout, but he requested to stop, so I had him pitch only through the seventh inning."

On the 28th against Doosan, Huardo delivered an outstanding performance in his seven-inning start, allowing six hits, no walks, and striking out seven batters over scoreless innings. His pitch count was only 86. Although the team had built a 3-0 lead and secured the conditions for a win, the bullpen allowed an equalizer in the bottom of the ninth, so the victory was not secured. Samsung eventually won 5-4 in the 10th inning, ending their seven-game losing streak.

Huardo recorded 11 wins in 2023 and 10 wins in 2024 while playing for the Kiwoom Heroes. He changed uniforms to Samsung in 2025 and is now in his fourth year on the KBO League stage. Last year, he achieved a career high with 15 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 2.60. In particular, he demonstrated an iron arm by ranking first in the league in innings (197⅓), complete games (3), and shutouts (2). As of the 29th this season, he has also thrown the most innings (39) among all pitchers.

His pitching performance is flawless. In all six games he has started, he has recorded a Quality Start (QS: at least six innings with three or fewer earned runs), again leading the league in this category. His ERA is 1.62, ranking third. Most notably, he has allowed only four walks, showcasing near-perfect control.

As his experience grows, he continues to demonstrate more seasoned control and game management skills, establishing himself as an increasingly formidable pitcher. However, due to insufficient lineup support and bullpen inconsistencies, his win total remains at just two wins (one loss).

In March, Huardo represented Panama at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), recording a scoreless five-inning start in the Round 1 Group A match against Puerto Rico.

Manager Park Jin-man said, "Huardo is an indispensable presence. Thanks to him pitching nearly seven innings in almost every game, we can reduce the burden on the bullpen." He added, "He has a wide variety of pitches, excellent control, and consistently throws around 100 pitches. He is also not injured, so there is nothing more to ask for," lavishing praise upon him.

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*This content was translated by AI.