"Why can't he throw 146 km/h?" Hanwha's top overall pick in the 2024 KBO Draft, Kim Kyung-moon, chose Hwang Jun-seo as his "No. 1 standby starter" for a reason

*This content was translated by AI.

Hanwha's promising left-handed pitcher Hwang Jun-seo (21) demonstrated why he is considered the No. 1 standby starter.

On the 23rd, Hanwha lost to LG Twins 3-12 in a regular-season home game at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League season.

The starting pitcher's mound collapsed early in consecutive games. Starting pitcher Park Jun-young was pulled after pitching 1⅔ innings, allowing three hits (including two home runs), issuing five walks and hit-by-pitches (four walks and one hit batter), striking out one, and surrendering eight earned runs.

However, unlike two days prior, the collapse did not spiral out of control. Second pitcher Hwang Jun-seo held firm over 4⅓ innings, allowing just one hit, issuing two walks, striking out two, and giving up only one run, effectively cooling down LG's hot offense.

This performance was a direct response to the trust placed in him by Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon (68) before the game. Recently, Hanwha's starting pitcher Wang Yencheng (25) was hospitalized due to pneumonia symptoms, forcing the team to skip at least one rotation spot. Originally scheduled to start on the 23rd as Wang Yencheng's replacement, Hwang Jun-seo's outing was delayed by a day after the game on the previous day (the 22nd) was canceled due to rain.

Hwang Jun-seo returned to the bullpen. However, before the game, Manager Kim stated firmly: "Jun-seo will remain on standby as a long reliever, but if any issues arise among the starting pitchers, he is the No. 1 standby option."

Coincidentally, that opportunity arrived sooner than expected. Hwang Jun-seo took the mound in the bottom of the second inning with two outs immediately after Park Jun-young allowed a three-run home run to Song Chan-ui over the left-field fence. His first opponent, Moon Bo-kyung, was impressive from the start. Using outside fastballs and inside forkballs to attack both sides of the strike zone, followed by a curveball in the middle to disrupt timing, he induced a groundout to the first baseman.

The key to Hwang Jun-seo's pitching today was not velocity but his persistent targeting of the lower part of the strike zone. Although he issued a walk to leadoff batter Gu Bon-hyuk in the third inning, he repeatedly threw low pitches to Lee Ju-heon, inducing a 6-4-3 double play. In the fourth inning, after issuing a walk to Hong Chang-gi and facing a bases-loaded situation with two outs due to consecutive bunts, he surrendered a sacrifice fly to Austin Dean—the only run allowed that day.

Afterward, his performance became even more stable. He retired Song Chan-ui on a groundout to the shortstop and completed both the fifth and sixth innings with three straight strikeouts. Hwang Jun-seo mixed 30 four-seam fastballs, 24 forkballs, five curveballs, and three sliders for a total of 62 pitches. Although his maximum velocity reached only 146 km/h, the effective use of forkballs and curveballs along the edges of the strike zone revitalized the power of his fastball.

The highlight came in the sixth inning against Hong Chang-gi. Hwang Jun-seo repeatedly hit low outside corners with a combination of forkballs and fastballs. After throwing a 143 km/h fastball, he followed it with a sharply dropping 105 km/h curveball. Even Hong Chang-gi, known for his elite plate vision in the league, could not time the pitch properly despite the 38th km/h velocity difference on a single pitch.

Looking back, Hwang Jun-seo has always been this kind of pitcher. Since his days at Jangchung High School, his greatest strengths were recognized as a fastball reaching up to 150 km/h and a forkball with significant drop. In particular, the maturity of his forkball attracted attention from Major League Baseball scouts despite his age.

His potential was recognized early on. In 2022, as a sophomore, he received the Future Star Award at the StarNews-organized "Futures Star Awards," and after finishing his junior year, he was selected first overall in the first round of the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft by Hanwha. That same year, he also claimed the baseball grand prize at the Futures Star Awards.

Since turning professional, however, more critical narratives have followed him. His slender frame—185 cm tall and weighing 78 kg—his fastball velocity hovering in the mid-to-late 140 km/h range, and declining stamina throughout the season became points of concern.

However, Hwang Jun-seo is only 21 years old. Being selected first overall was not based solely on the expectation that his velocity would eventually improve. He was chosen because he demonstrated the ability to locate breaking pitches within the strike zone, showed strong game management skills, and offered rare value as a left-handed pitcher with significant growth potential. The match against LG on the 23rd reaffirmed this evaluation.

He proved that even without throwing 150 km/h fastballs, he can shut down the league's strongest offenses by effectively utilizing low pitches and placing breaking balls where needed. Most importantly, despite an unplanned appearance in the second inning, he took responsibility for 4⅓ innings and helped stabilize a game that had already collapsed.

This is also why, if a vacancy arises in Hanwha's starting rotation, manager Kim Kyung-moon would immediately think of Hwang Jun-seo. He is not yet a fully developed starting pitcher. However, on this day, Hwang Jun-seo sufficiently demonstrated why he should continue to be considered among the top candidates for the starting rotation.

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*This content was translated by AI.