"Even if you give Min-seok a few points, it wouldn't be enough; still, Bin is superior." Doosan transforms into a "starting pitcher kingdom," and Manager Kim Won-hyeong wears a happy smile. [Jamsil On-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Baseball is a pitcher's game, especially with starting pitchers being crucial. The first half of the season for the Doosan Bears perfectly proved this saying.

With three games remaining before the end of the first half, Doosan has played 84 games, recording 42 wins, 40 losses, and 2 draws, currently sitting in fifth place.

Once known as a regular guest at autumn baseball, they lost their intimidating image over the past few years. They plummeted to ninth place last year and were not even reliably considered among the top five teams ahead of this season.

However, they finished the first half in fifth place. While their batting lineup ranked seventh with a .269 average and their team OPS (on-base plus slugging) was eighth at 0.732, the strength on the mound has driven Doosan's upward momentum.

Doosan's team ERA for this season is 3.95, ranking first. Their starting pitcher ERA is even better at 3.67. Led by ace Kwak Bin, the rotation has held firm, and Wes Benjamin, a replacement for Chris Flexen, has added further stability.

Adding to this, a breakout star emerged this season. Choi Min-seok leads with an ERA of 2.33. Ahead of the home game against SSG Landers at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 7th, Manager Kim Won-hyeong met with reporters and said, "His performance in the first half is so surprising that even giving him a few points wouldn't be enough." He added, "When he takes the mound, it feels like Bin is starting. He consistently throws about six innings while delivering his own pitches on the mound. He's the kind of pitcher you can rely on with predictable results."

He continued, "It's remarkable that every time he appears on the mound, he performs exactly as expected, which doesn't seem like something a 20-year-old would do. Although he briefly dropped out of the rotation, that was for management purposes. Since then, he has kept appearing in games and maintaining his spot in the rotation without major issues, which is truly impressive."

Of course, there's still the view that Kwak Bin, with more experience, operates at a higher level. "Bin is superior. However, if Min-seok is being compared to Bin as the team's ace, it shows just how well Min-seok has performed this season," he said with a satisfied smile. "In a way, since Bin is the number one starter and the ace, he should perform like this. But Min-seok has performed so well in the first half that he can be compared to Bin, suggesting our pitchers are holding strong and showing excellent form."

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*This content was translated by AI.