'With' LAD, NYY, SD and other five U.S. clubs watching the 'matchup of the century' between An Woo-jin and Kwak Bin! Kiwoom skipper: "He could throw over 100 pitches..."

*This content was translated by AI.

The showdown between South Korea's top right-handed starting pitchers at Jamsil Stadium is drawing intense attention from Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts in the United States. Multiple scouts have personally visited the venue to observe potential targets for future acquisition.

Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin (53) expressed firm confidence in An Woo-jin ahead of the team's away game against Doosan Bears at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 29th. Speaking to reporters on-site before the match, Manager Seol said regarding An's pitching plan, "If conditions allow, he could throw slightly over 100 pitches," and added, "(Regardless of the opposing pitcher) he will compete normally in the game," clearly indicating that An would be given full responsibility without being restricted by pitch count.

Continuing, Manager Seol addressed the matchup against Doosan's ace Kwak Bin: "Rather than focusing heavily on the opposing starter, we are primarily considering our player's condition and physical stamina," while also expressing hope that "he will be able to cover at least five to six innings." He further emphasized, "For Woo-jin to exert more power on the mound, the defense must provide solid support. Once the defense stabilizes, the pitcher can deliver much better performances." He also noted plans to increase the emphasis on defensive training immediately after the away schedule concludes, and pointed out that all bullpen pitchers were able to remain on standby due to the previous day's rain cancellation.

According to a Doosan club official, scouts from five Major League Baseball teams — Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, and Kansas City Royals — visited Jamsil Stadium to observe today's game.

Kiwoom starter An Woo-jin has appeared in 18 games this season, recording 3 wins, 6 losses, an ERA of 3.39, and 101 strikeouts. Although he is still in a rehabilitation phase close to a comeback season after surgery, evaluations suggest that as he continues to compete, his dominant pitching from his prime years is gradually returning.

Facing him, Doosan starter Kwak Bin has also been performing exceptionally well as the team's "ace" this season, posting 10 wins and 5 losses with an ERA of 2.33 and 161 strikeouts in 23 games. Leveraging his powerful stuff and stable game management skills, he has maintained outstanding performances with no fewer than 16 quality starts (QS: six or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs allowed).

Coincidentally, both players were drafted in the first round of the 2018 rookie draft as classmates and are "close friends." Notably, this marks the first time in KBO League history that they have faced each other as starting pitchers during the regular season. They previously met during the 2021 postseason Wild Card Game 1. At that time, An Woo-jin pitched 6⅓ innings with 9 strikeouts and 2 earned runs allowed, while Kwak Bin threw 4⅔ innings with 4 strikeouts and 1 earned run allowed; Kiwoom won the game 7-4.

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*This content was translated by AI.