Kwak Bin hits 160.3 km/h career high! An Woo-jin also reaches 160 km/h → A lightning-fast pitching duel unfolds before U.S. scouts

*This content was translated by AI.

Radar guns of Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts flashed nonstop. Doosan Bears' Kwak Bin (27) and Kiwoom Heroes' An Woo-jin (27), who are "1999-born best friends" representing the KBO League, put on an unbelievable "simultaneous 160 km/h cannonball show" in the first-ever regular-season starting matchup between them at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 29th, completely engulfing the Jamsil field.

Kwak Bin opened the scoring today. In the top of the first inning against Kiwoom's Hyura, Kwak Bin threw his fourth pitch with a 1-ball-2-strike count, and the scoreboard clocked it at 160.3 km/h. This was the moment he shattered his previous personal best of 159.1 km/h recorded just six days earlier against the Lotte Giants at Jamsil on the 23rd, setting a new career-high velocity record. Spectators in the stands, broadcast booth personnel, and MLB scouts positioned behind the catcher all watched closely.

In response, An Woo-jin did not back down easily. Despite being in his comeback season after surgery, he showcased his signature destructive power with heavy fastballs reaching a top speed of 160.0 km/h (average fastball speed of 156 km/h). The scene was completed where both teams' starting pitchers broke the 160th km/h barrier simultaneously in a single game — an unprecedented spectacle in KBO history.

In this high-speed pitching duel featuring top-tier velocity in the KBO League, Kwak Bin secured the more effective performance. Throwing 96 pitches today, Kwak Bin pitched six innings allowing five hits and three walks while striking out eight batters and giving up two earned runs, achieving a Quality Start (QS) and firmly holding down the mound. In contrast, An Woo-jin recorded five innings with seven hits allowed (including one home run), three walks, five strikeouts, and five earned runs, bowing his head after throwing only 78 pitches. Kwak Bin handed over the mound to Takada, while An Woo-jin passed it to Lee Kang-jun before finishing the game.

Although their fortunes diverged due to earned runs, this head-to-head battle between two of the league's top fireballers and fellow first-round picks in the 2018 rookie draft was more than enough to leave behind one of Korean baseball's most legendary moments.

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*This content was translated by AI.