'Sure to win, 6 holds → First career start victory' 20-year-old all-around pitcher: "If you let me go, I can pitch anywhere" — A hidden gem discovered by Kiwoom

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Jung-hun (20, Kiwoom Heroes) showed he is a promising young talent. While he has been effective in the bullpen, he proved he also has the potential to be a reliable starter.

On the 13th, Park made his first start in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the Hanwha Eagles at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. He threw 84 pitches over 5⅓ innings, allowing just 2 hits, issuing 3 walks/strikes, and recording 4 strikeouts in a scoreless outing.

His team held the lead, securing his second win of the season (1 loss, 6 holds) and his first victory as a starter. His ERA dropped significantly from 4.15 to 3.18.

Selected by Kiwoom in the third round of the 2025 draft, Park had only appeared in relief roles last season and through the recent part of this season. However, he showed his potential by making an emergency start against the Samsung Lions on the 7th, pitching 4 innings. He earned another start opportunity on this day.

His spot in the rotation is not yet confirmed. Before the game, manager Seol Jong-jin said, "We'll see how today's performance goes; it could still be adjusted. We don't know how Alcantara or Rosenberg will do. For now, we need to see today's pitching and Rosenberg's performance before finalizing the schedule."

His performance today was more than enough to bring a smile to the manager's face. In his second start as a starter, the second-year rookie dominated Hanwha's hot-hitting lineup.

In the first and second innings, with two outs and runners on first and second, he escaped the danger by inducing a groundout to shortstop from Noh Si-hwan and a swinging strikeout from Hwang Young-mok. His curveball, which broke sharply at a high location, was particularly effective. The curveball dropped from eye level and caught the top of the strike zone, leaving batters with no way to attack it. He recorded two strikeouts in the first and second innings using just that pitch.

Gaining confidence, Park Jung-hun pitched aggressively in the third and fourth innings, retiring the side in order. In the fifth, he allowed a walk to leadoff batter Lee Won-seok but induced a double play from Sim Woo-jun to clear the bases, then struck out Hwang Young-mok with a slider that broke away from the outside, securing the win condition.

After throwing 84 pitches, Park returned to the mound in the sixth. He walked Ferar, then induced a groundout to the second baseman from Moon Hyun-bin to retire the lead runner. However, he gave up a double to Kang Baek-ho and handed the ball to Kim Sung-jin with one out and runners on second and third.

Kim Sung-jin walked Noh Si-hwan, creating a bases-loaded situation, but he struck out Heo In-seo on a swinging miss and induced a groundout to the second baseman from Kim Tae-yeon, shutting down the biggest threat of the day without allowing a run. In the eighth, despite giving up two runs, Kiwoom held a one-run lead thanks to outfielder Park Ju-hong's perfect diving catch. Ultimately, the victory was secured, completing Park Jung-hun's first career start win.

His fastball reached a top speed of 150 km/h. He threw 65 fastballs, well over half of his total, and mixed in a precise curveball (13 pitches) and slider (23 pitches) to suppress Hanwha's lineup.

His previous career-high pitch count was 76 pitches in a game against Daejeon Hanwha on September 15 last year. Today, he threw significantly more — 101 pitches — yet fulfilled his role effectively.

After the game, Manager Seol said, "Park Jung-hun delivered a perfect performance. His scoreless outing was the foundation of today's victory. Congratulations on his first career start win."

It was an unforgettable day for Park Jung-hun. Meeting reporters after the game, he said, "I was nervous from the first to the ninth inning. It was different from my first win. Back then, I was brought in to close out a situation that was already created, but today I was the one creating the game, so it feels even more special."

Despite the sudden switch to starting, Park Jung-hun showed no hesitation. "I was confident in throwing many pitches, so it was fine. I had never thrown up to 100 pitches in the pros, and I did feel a bit tired when starting the sixth, but I tried to push through. I'm a bit disappointed, though. It was thanks to Kim Sung-jin that we were able to win," he expressed his gratitude.

He could have been more cleanly removed after the fifth inning, but it became an opportunity for further growth. Park Jung-hun explained, "Before the game, the coach asked how many pitches I planned to throw, and I said I'd throw 100. After the fifth, when the coach asked if I was tired, I said I was fine and not tired. Then he said, 'You said you'd throw 100, so go back up and throw them.' That's why I came back for the sixth."

In his first start, he pitched 4 innings, allowing 5 hits and 2 walks while giving up 2 runs, leaving some room for improvement. Although he is not yet fully accustomed to starting, he deeply considered game management. Park Jung-hun explained, "In my previous outing, I threw too many strikes and tried to hit the zone, constantly releasing the ball, so I couldn't use all my strength. Today, from the start, I thought, 'Let's not do that again,' and kept attacking strongly. As a result, the ball's movement was livelier, and it felt good."

He continued, "Before the game, I discussed with curveball specialist Park Sung-bin that we should use whichever of the curveball or slider was better. Since both were good, we decided to mix them. I started with mostly curveballs, then switched to two-seamers in the later innings, and the results were good."

He proved his potential not only as a reliever but also as a starter, yet he also showed a mature attitude of simply fulfilling the role the team needs. Park Jung-hun said, "If you just let me go, I can pitch well anywhere. I focus on the significance of pitching in the first division. I don't have any particular ambition. Wherever I'm called upon, I'm just trying to do my best."

With Bae Dong-hyun moving to the minor league for rest, Park Jung-hun's strong performance today suggests he will likely get at least one more start opportunity. However, Park showed no greed. "Today, instead of thinking I'd pitch until the fifth inning, I thought from the first inning that it was the final inning and pitched accordingly. I didn't have any particular desire for a quality start. Next time, I'll just focus on retiring one inning and one batter at a time," he vowed.

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*This content was translated by AI.