"Hwang Dong-ha's arrest could come sooner": The 7R miracle KIA is using is not the end

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers' Hwang Dong-ha (24), who is writing a miracle in the lower rounds, has focused on growth by delaying his mandatory military service in the Army Sports Promotion Team (Armed Forces).

Hwang is a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Jinbuk Elementary, Jeolla Middle, and Insang High schools before joining KIA as the 65th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 KBO Rookie Draft. With his sharp slider and excellent control as strengths, he received serious opportunities after manager Lee Beom-ho (45) took charge in 2024. That year, he went 5-7 with a 4.44 ERA in 25 games, rotating as a starter and contributing to KIA's championship victory.

The clock that had stopped due to the misfortune of a traffic accident last year is now moving again. By making his forkball arm swing similar to his fastball arm swing, he maximized the tunneling effect. This created a weapon to face left-handed batters, providing the opportunity to grow as a starting pitcher.

Hwang Dong-ha's performance against left-handed batters improved significantly, with his batting average against dropping from 0.385 and opponent OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.114 in 2025 to a batting average against of 0.272 and opponent OPS of 0.703 this year. Lee Dong-keol (43), KIA's first-division pitching coach, also praised him: "(Hwang) Dong-ha has put in a lot of effort. As the swing speed of his fastball and forkball has become similar, his movement has improved and he has gained confidence. He has now become a decisive pitch that can be used against both left- and right-handed batters."

Another challenge is increasing his fastball velocity. Despite being a right-handed pitcher in high school, his low fastball velocity of only 140 km/h was the reason he was drafted in a lower round. In fact, being selected in the seventh round despite the low velocity was a recognition of his potential in using breaking balls and managing games.

Improving fastball velocity is essential to last long in the professional league. Hwang Dong-ha has already experienced this. Within his first year, he raised his average velocity to 142 km/h, allowing him to debut quickly. Since last year, he has increased his average velocity to 144 km/h, which also maximized the effectiveness of his slider and forkball.

However, velocity cannot be increased indefinitely. According to baseball industry insiders, while some increase in velocity can be achieved through improvements in pitching mechanics and physical growth, velocities of 155 km/h or higher are classified as talent. Since Hwang Dong-ha has already increased his maximum velocity by more than 10 km/h, further development seemed difficult to expect.

But pitching coach Lee Dong-keol had a different view. Ahead of the Gwangju LG game on the 17th, the coach stated firmly: "(Hwang) Dong-ha is a player who can grow further. He has already increased his velocity significantly since I first came to KIA. Considering his physical abilities and the direction of his range of motion, I believe there is still room for velocity to rise."

He continued, "For Dong-ha to develop a bit more, increasing velocity is also necessary. However, improving velocity puts stress on the body and carries a risk of injury, so we must be cautious during the season. Now, as a starting pitcher, it is sufficient if he can maintain his velocity and work hard to increase his average velocity by just 1-2 km/h."

The fact that this is not the end is hopeful. Hwang Dong-ha's aggressive pitching style is also aided by his powerful fastball command. The player himself has always kept this in mind. Hwang Dong-ha stated firmly, "I am the type who always tries to aggressively throw strikes into the strike zone, even if I get hit. That is the style I have pursued since before."

He added, "I focus more on command than velocity. Even if I throw at 143 km/h, if I have good command, it is difficult for batters to make solid contact. Also, I do not want to force myself to increase my velocity at the start of the season. My velocity may increase further, and if it does, that would be good. However, I believe that the velocity I can throw in a given year is determined while preparing for the season in the winter. It is important to prepare for the season according to that."

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*This content was translated by AI.