*This content was translated by AI.
'Kiwoom Heroes' overall No. 1 special rookie Park Jun-hyun (19) once again showcased monstrous pitching, firmly establishing himself as a surefire winning card for his team. It now appears that his mere presence on the mound has become a formula for victory for the team. In the four games where he started, Kiwoom secured an impressive three wins.
'On the 17th, Park Jun-hyun started against NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park, pitching six innings while allowing five hits, two walks, striking out nine batters, and surrendering just one earned run.
'Although the team was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh when he left the mound, narrowly missing out on his second win of the season, Kiwoom capitalized on Park's strong performance. They rallied with Kim Geon-hee's tying home run in the eighth inning and Im Byung-wook's go-ahead hit to secure a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory. As a result, Kiwoom has maintained an impressive 75% team win rate in games where Park Jun-hyun has pitched.
'Park Jun-hyun's pitching on this day was truly "powerful." He started off smoothly by striking out all three batters in the first inning. In particular, the moment he struck out Park Min-woo, NC's star batter and one of KBO League's most representative switch-hitters, on just three pitches was spectacular.
'His previously cited weakness, control, has become significantly more stable. He issued only two walks on this day, the fewest he has allowed in any game this season. Although he allowed a bunt single and a stolen base in the bottom of the third, giving up a tying RBI hit to Choi Jeong-won, he displayed composure beyond his years by striking out Kwon Hee-dong and inducing an outfield fly ball from Park Min-woo in the subsequent scoring position crisis. He also navigated a bases-loaded, two-out crisis in the fifth inning by inducing an infield grounder from Kwon Hee-dong, allowing no runs. The third inning was the only time he surrendered runs.
'The highlight came in the sixth inning. Park Jun-hyun overcame a life-or-death crisis caused by defensive errors on his own strength. After one out, a fielding error occurred when first baseman Choi Ju-hwan and second baseman Seo Geon-chang collided while attempting to field a fly ball from Lee Woo-seong. He then walked Park Geon-woo and Oh Young-soo, putting the team in a bases-loaded, two-out crisis. However, he struck out Kim Hyung-jun, clenching his fist in triumph. What was astonishing was that even when his pitch count exceeded 90, his maximum velocity against Kim Hyung-jun reached 155 km/h.
'Park Jun-hyun recorded 99 pitches on this day, surpassing his previous personal best of five innings and logging six innings for the first time since his professional debut. He also achieved his first "Quality Start (QS)"—defined as six or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs—completely dispelling any doubts about his ability to handle innings. Thanks to this strong performance, Park Jun-hyun's season ERA dropped from 2.63 to 2.29.
'Park Jun-hyun, also well known as the son of 41-year-old former Samsung Futures League batting coach Park Seok-min, drew immense expectations from the moment he was selected as the overall No. 1 pick in the 2026 KBO Draft. Excluding his three-and-two-thirds inning, five-run outing against Doosan on the third, he has delivered "five or more innings with one or fewer earned runs" in his other three appearances, perfectly establishing himself on the first division stage. In particular, he demonstrated solid adaptability even in his first road game on the 17th. One team manager praised Park Jun-hyun's pitching, saying, "He hits the ball really well. His mound management is very experienced. It feels like we're seeing a complete rookie starting pitcher for the first time in a long while."
'The intimidation emanating from the mound is enough to provide stability to his own defense and instill fear in opposing lineups. Park Jun-hyun, who has overcome the heavy burden of being the "Overall No. 1" pick and established himself as Kiwoom's next-generation ace, is now drawing the attention of baseball fans as he officially joins the Rookie of the Year race.
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*This content was translated by AI.
