"I'm not intimidated." The secret to a 0.083 batting average against in scoring position... 'Hanwha's development success story' Park Jun-young faces his third test today (the 2nd) against Doosan

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Jun-young (24, Hanwha Eagles), who became the first player in KBO history to earn a starting win in his debut as a development player, pitched the most innings in his second attempt. Can he deliver again in his third challenge?

Park Jun-young is scheduled to start against the Doosan Bears in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League road game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on the 2nd.

After being rejected in the rookie draft three times, he joined the team as a development player through the baseball variety show 'Bulkkot Baseball' and had only played in the Futures League. In just one year, however, too many changes have occurred for him.

After dominating in the Futures League with 4 wins in 7 games and an ERA of 1.29, he secured a victory on the 10th of last month against the LG Twins with a scoreless performance of 5 innings, allowing 3 hits, 3 walks, and recording 2 strikeouts.

Park Jun-young, who had given up walks and allowed runs in both of his two relief appearances since then, started again against the NC Dinos on the 27th, pitching scoreless for 5 innings without a single walk. He entered in the 6th inning and gave up back-to-back home runs, leaving some regret, but he pitched the most innings since his debut, clearly demonstrating his potential as a fifth starter.

Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon praised him, saying, "He gave up two home runs at the end, but the fact that he stayed on the mound until the 6th inning and gave up only a few runs is impressive. That means he should be used as a starter again. He gave up home runs, but he fulfilled his role."

He has been given another chance. This time, it is against Doosan. Since Doosan is trailing by 2.5 games, one step behind, he cannot back down. Furthermore, this is an opportunity to swap positions with the fourth-place KIA Tigers, who are only 0.5 games behind.

This is an important stage to gauge whether Park Jun-young can secure a spot in the starting rotation. He made an impact in his debut and pitched steadily without walks in his last game, but it is crucial to maintain that stability again this time.

Expectations are high. Above all, he has an extraordinary boldness. In a situation where pitchers are collapsing due to walks, his aggressive pitching is what makes him stand out the most. Park Jun-young said, "When I came out of the bullpen, the cause of all runs was walks, so my first task was to never give up a walk, and that helped."

Although there are many differences, his aggressive approach to minimizing walks resembles Ryu Hyun-jin. Park Jun-young said, "If I give up a walk, nothing happens, so I'd rather give up a home run." He added, "I can't do the 'in and out' of the strike zone like Senior Hyun-jin, but Coach Park Seung-min always tells me before the game, 'It's about momentum. The moment you get scared, it's already over,' so I try not to be intimidated."

This is also one of his greatest strengths. Regarding the secret to his strong performances, he said, "I think the biggest thing is not being intimidated. I feel that if I get scared, I won't be able to do anything and it will end. Since this is the stage I have dreamed of for a long time, I pitch with the thought that if I throw my pitches without regret and come down, the results will follow."

Believing in himself and throwing boldly is yielding results. He has pitched 12 2/3 innings in 4 games with 1 win and no losses, posting an ERA of 3.55. Particularly impressive is his batting average against in scoring position of 0.083 (12 at-bats, 1 hit allowed), which is a stark contrast to his season batting average against of 0.255. In scoring position, he has allowed only one hit or walk, while recording 5 strikeouts.

Park Jun-young, who reacted as if he himself found it strange, said, "When there are runners on base, I seem to focus more on the batter than the runner, which produced that effect." He added, "I don't know why my batting average against in scoring position is so good either. I think I should have paid more attention even when there were no runners."

The fact that he still has limitless growth potential further boosts expectations. Since joining the professional league, this was the first time he threw more than 80 pitches, and he even pitched the most innings. He is confident that his velocity can increase further. Park Jun-young said, "In the Futures League, my top velocity was 146 km/h, and while playing baseball, I threw up to 147-148 km/h. My velocity has increased since my first start, so if I prepare well and keep working hard, I think it will go up even more."

His only thought is to stay with the first division team for a long time rather than worry about his role, so he can contribute to the team. Park Jun-young said, "Whether it's the bullpen or starting, I am grateful to be able to play in games. Whatever role it is, I want to play in games." He added, "I will be doing more analysis in the future, and I think I can't stay as I am. I will prepare harder for other things, leverage my strengths more, and strive to pitch well."

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*This content was translated by AI.