'Challenge for the Korean Series after 23 years' KT's Woo Gyu-min to set a new record as the first right-handed pitcher with 900 appearances

*This content was translated by AI.

He has endured an incredible 23 years in professional baseball. Now, Woo Gyu-min (41, KT Wiz), who stands on the verge of reaching the 900th-game milestone that no other right-handed pitcher in the KBO League has ever achieved, looks even further ahead. His goals include becoming the all-time leader in appearances by a pitcher and stepping onto the Korean Series stage for the first time.

Woo made his relief appearance on the 2nd against the Suwon Hanwha Eagles, playing in his 899th career game. With just one more appearance, he will become only the third pitcher in KBO League history to reach 900 games, following Jung Woo-ram (formerly of Hanwha Eagles) and Ryu Taek-hyun (formerly of LG Twins). He would be the first right-handed pitcher to achieve this feat.

A graduate of Hwimoon High School, Woo was selected by the LG Twins in the second round, 19th overall, of the 2003 KBO Rookie Draft. He made his first-team debut on August 24, 2004, against Incheon SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers). He played for LG until 2016, then joined Samsung Lions from 2017 to 2023, and has continued his career with KT since 2024.

Over the past 23 years, it would be difficult to find a role he hasn't filled. While with LG, he served as a closer and recorded double-digit saves for three consecutive seasons starting in 2006, including 30 saves in 2007. In 2013, he transitioned to a starting pitcher and earned double-digit wins for three straight years through 2015. After moving to Samsung, he returned to the bullpen, recording 24 holds in 2021 and appearing on the mound in at least 50 games each season from 2019 to 2023.

His career totals stand at 899 games played, with 88 wins, 89 losses, 123 holds, 91 saves, and an ERA of 3.83. Over 1504⅔ innings, he recorded 947 strikeouts. He has started 130 games, pitched in 504 middle-relief appearances, and closed out 265 games.

Reaching 900 games is not an endpoint but could mark another beginning. Woo already holds the record for most appearances by a right-handed pitcher in KBO League history. The only pitchers ahead of him are Jung Woo-ram with 1,005 games and Ryu Taek-hyun with 901. One more game will bring him to 900, and two additional games would tie him with Ryu.

He may also aim for Jung Woo-ram's all-time record for most appearances by a pitcher in KBO history. Considering the typical workload of relief pitchers, surpassing this mark would require at least three years of consistent active play. It is not an easy challenge, but with Woo Gyu-min currently performing at his level, it does not seem entirely impossible. Since joining KT, he has averaged more than 46 appearances per season.

He continues to defy age this season. Woo has appeared in 42 games this year, posting a record of 1 win, no losses, 4 holds, and an ERA of 2.67 over 33⅔ innings. As a key member of KT's pitching staff, he is fulfilling his role effectively. The significance is heightened by the fact that a pitcher in his 40s is not merely extending his career but protecting the mound during crucial moments for a team competing at the top.

Alongside the record for most appearances, he has another deeply desired goal: the Korean Series. Coincidentally, the teams he spent significant time with have reached the Korean Series after he left them. LG won the Korean Series in 2023, the year after Woo moved to Samsung, and Samsung reached the Korean Series in 2024, the season following his move to KT.

He also holds an unwelcome record: among active players, he has experienced the Korean Series for the shortest duration. As a pitcher, his total number of games played trails behind Lotte Giants' Jeon Jun-woo (40, 1,893 games in the 2019 season), LG's Gangnam (34, 1,365 games in the 2016 season), Kiwoom Heroes' Oh Seon-jin (37, 1,295 games in the 2019 season), and KIA Tigers' Ko Jong-wook (37, 1,127 games in the 2017 season). However, no other pitcher has gone 23 years without stepping onto the Korean Series stage.

This year brings him closer to that dream than ever before. As of the conclusion of the game on the 2nd, KT sits in second place, trailing first-place Samsung by just 0.5 games. It remains to be seen whether the veteran pitcher, poised to set a historic record as the first right-handed pitcher with 900 appearances, will also finally reach the Korean Series stage he has long dreamed of.

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*This content was translated by AI.