"I cried a lot too." Moon Dong-ju's share → Jung Woo-ju gritted his teeth, nurturing the dream of a 'de facto no-hitter'

*This content was translated by AI.

"(Moon) Dong-ju hyung told me he was going to have surgery, and I cried a lot that day too."

Jung Woo-ju (20, Hanwha Eagles) could not hold back tears upon hearing of the painful injury to Moon Dong-ju (23). However, Jung Woo-ju, who stepped into the vacant spot, steeled his resolve and instilled hope that he could serve as a replacement.

On the 14th, Jung Woo-ju made his start in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, pitching 4 innings with 73 pitches, allowing 1 hit, 2 walks, striking out 4, and giving up 1 earned run in a strong performance.

Jung Woo-ju, who was drafted second overall last year, originally harbored dreams of becoming a starter, but given the team's solid starting rotation, he began in the bullpen and rose to become a key reliever.

With consecutive injuries to starting pitchers this season and ups and downs in the bullpen, he was given the opportunity to start. In his first start of the season on the 7th against the KIA Tigers, he was pulled early after allowing 1 hit, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs in just 1⅔ innings, but Head Coach Kim Kyung-moon expressed confidence, saying, "I think we should give (Jung) Woo-ju the opportunity first," and added, "After watching him pitch about three times, I plan to discuss it with the pitching coach."

The day was completely different. Jung Woo-ju started the bottom of the first inning with a quick three-up, three-down, and in the second inning, he showcased dominant pitching by adding two strikeouts. He closed out the third inning with another three-up, three-down.

That made the disappointment in the fourth inning even greater. After allowing a hit-by-pitch to leadoff hitter An Chi-hong, he regained control by getting Choi Ju-hwan to a right field fly and Im Byung-wook to a shortstop fly, but communication between infielders and outfielders broke down on a high pop fly hit by Trenton Brooks, resulting in a missed catch. With two outs, the runner who had taken off early from first base advanced through second and third, scoring and recording the only hit and run allowed of the day. Afterward, he calmly recorded additional outs to finish his outing.

Jung Woo-ju, who had started against Kiwoom on September 15 last year, threw 54 pitches to set a personal record for most pitches in a start, but on this day he far surpassed that record and had to end his pitching after the disappointment of not reaching the fifth inning.

His role model, An Woo-jin, actually allowed 5 hits and 3 earned runs through five innings but was awarded a no-decision. After the game, Jung Woo-ju said, "I think I threw the most innings in my baseball career. If I gradually increase my innings, I believe I can achieve the wins I aim for. First, I am grateful and happy that the team won," and shared his thoughts.

He could have secured the win with just three more outs. Jung Woo-ju said, "(After the fourth inning) It wasn't bad, of course, but while facing batters, my pitch count increased too much. My physical condition was fine," but added, "I always have ambition, but this was also a choice for the team, so I have no regrets."

He was able to adjust his strategy through the painful failure in his first start of the season against KIA. Jung Woo-ju said, "I tried to increase the ratio of fastballs in the strike zone and also increase the ratio of breaking balls," but added, "Actually, I feel that breaking balls in the strike zone still need some improvement, so I think I need to prepare more for the next game."

It was exactly as described. His fastball, clocking in the mid-150 km/h range, is Jung Woo-ju's biggest weapon, but the effectiveness of his breaking balls is lacking. Rather than forcing the ratios, he actively utilized what worked best. Of the 73rd pitches he threw today, he used his fastball 60 times, accounting for 82%. His fastest pitch reached 155 km/h, possessing enough power to dominate Kiwoom batters. Mixing in occasional sliders (11 pitches) and curves (2 pitches) further amplified the effect.

Of the four strikeouts today, three were swinging strikeouts recorded via fastballs, and because his fastball was effective, he was also able to strike out Choi Jae-young in the third inning with a low slider.

This was the plan set before the game. "Since the fastball is my weapon, I said we should use it a lot," he explained, "and I agreed with the catcher to throw fastballs in the strike zone, putting them in the box as much as possible."

Jung Woo-ju also could not easily smile at the injury of his direct pitching senior, Moon Dong-ju. "I told him to get well after surgery. Hearing that Dong-ju hyung was having surgery, I cried a lot that day too," he said, adding, "So I will carry on that spirit of Dong-ju hyung and finish this season well."

Some batters, including Noh Si-hwan, are wearing Moon Dong-ju's belt while wishing for his speedy recovery. Jung Woo-ju received something different. "I received the cologne that Dong-ju hyung used. I feel like that good energy has come to me," he said, but when asked if he was using it, he replied, "It's a scent I don't really like," which drew laughter, before adding, "But I always carry it like a talisman."

There are clearly areas he wants to improve in his next start. "I want to lead more innings than today with fewer pitches," he said, "and then minimize runs allowed so that our batters can score quickly. I also need to reduce my time on the mound to help the defense."

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*This content was translated by AI.