'700 million won Super Rookie' delivers scoreless gem, manager marvels: "He has grown more than I expected" [Gocheok]

*This content was translated by AI.

"He has grown more than I expected."

The manager's faith in the top overall pick of the rookies, the "Super Rookie," was unwavering. This is about Kiwoom Heroes pitcher Park Jun-hyun (19).

Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin (53) expressed satisfaction ahead of the match against the Kia Tigers held at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 23rd, stating regarding Park Jun-hyun, who is set to start today, "He is evolving gradually. I am seeing him grow more than expected, and the player himself thinks so as well."

Signed with Kiwoom after being selected as the first overall pick in the first round of the 2026 Rookie Draft with a signing bonus of 700 million won, Park Jun-hyun secured a victory in his first-team debut on April 26 against the Samsung Lions, pitching 5 scoreless innings. Subsequently, in the May 17 match against the NC Dinos, he recorded 6 innings with 1 earned run, and in his previous appearance on the 17th against Samsung, he delivered a stable 7 scoreless innings.

His season statistics show 1 win and 2 losses in 8 games, with an ERA of 2.90. Over 40⅓ innings, he recorded 35 strikeouts and allowed only 1 home run.

Regarding the promising player who has made a strong impression since his debut year, the manager expressed his determination to manage him with special care. Manager Seol Jong-jin stated, "It is now the team's responsibility to adjust his innings to prevent injuries. We do not want him to overexert himself; we plan for him to be consistent." He further explained, "We are planning for his pitch count in the Maeil Business Newspaper (MK) game to be around 100 pitches, and for the season total to be around 100 innings. We have made such plans and are following them."

He continued, "We are not sending out sign signals regarding his pitch selection," adding, "Park Jun-hyun is also a style who handles game operations well beyond what is expected of a rookie, so we trust and rely on him."

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*This content was translated by AI.