'ERA Third Overall' — Is This Season's Flash-in-the-Pan Performance Over? → "No," KBO Legend Manager Asserts With Reason

*This content was translated by AI.

His performance so far this season is no exaggeration to call him among the very top native pitchers in the KBO League. However, as a second-year player with limited professional experience, he must continue to demonstrate his ability to prove this is not a fleeting season. Kim Won-hyung (54), the Doosan Bears manager and a former KBO legend pitcher, expressed a positive outlook on the long-term potential of Choi Min-seok (20), who is projected to be a pitcher for the 2026 Asian Games national team.

Choi Min-seok is the starting pitcher who has been performing exceptionally well not only for Doosan this year but across the entire KBO League. This season, Choi has started all 12 games, recording 6 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 2.88. He ranks third alone in ERA in the KBO League, tied for sixth in wins, and tied for 10th in innings pitched.

Over a total of 68⅔ innings, he allowed 54 hits (3 home runs), issued 31 walks, recorded 67 strikeouts, and gave up 28 runs (22 earned runs). His innings per baserunner allowed (WHIP) stands at 1.24, and his batting average against is 0.215. He has achieved 7 quality starts (defined as 6 innings pitched with 3 or fewer earned runs allowed).

On the 13th, ahead of Doosan's away game against the KIA Tigers at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field, manager Kim Won-hyung was asked about Choi Min-seok, who had pitched brilliantly on the 12th. On the 12th, Choi delivered a strong performance against KIA, pitching 7 innings, allowing 2 hits, issuing 1 walk, hitting 1 batter, striking out 8, and giving up 1 run (1 earned run), securing his sixth win of the season (with 2 losses).

Regarding Choi's potential for a long season, the manager stated, "It looks that way. The difference between strikes and balls is almost non-existent. Of course, on off days, he may issue 3 or 4 walks. However, if he refines his approach a bit more, he has the fundamental qualities to perform well over a long period."

He continued, "He has control and possesses a good two-seam fastball. Of course, a two-seam fastball without velocity is meaningless. But Min-seok shows movement that generates power felt at the end of the ball when batters swing. Whether a solid hit occurs or a mishit happens depends on the presence of that powerful two-seam fastball movement."

He added, "It's impossible to pitch as well as he did on the 12th in every game. He pitched well in his last two outings, but he struggled significantly against the Samsung Lions in the two games prior. However, he bounced back immediately in the next game, pitched well, and completed 7 innings on the 12th."

The "young prince" manager is a former KBO League legend starting pitcher who dominated as a right-handed ace in his era. Manager Kim stated, "I have started many games myself. If a pitcher starts 25 games in a season, only fewer than 10 are at peak condition. Conversely, about 10 games are started at their worst condition. The rest are often just thrown without knowing whether the condition is good or bad."

He further explained, "Ultimately, maintaining condition depends on routine. That is why players strive to follow their routines. This is different from superstition. For example, when arriving at the stadium, there is a specific order of tasks to perform; that is the routine. Strictly adhering to it is crucial." He continued, "Summer has now begun. Fatigue accumulated over time may surge. Maintaining physical condition during the summer is also important. If players tire without realizing it, the ball will lose its velocity at the end, leading to hits from batters. Nevertheless, (Choi) Min-seok is only in his first full season this year. As he gains experience over one or two years, he will naturally make the judgment, 'Ah, I need to do it this way from now on.'" He expressed his expectations.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.