It's no wonder KT is a championship contender with a fifth starter pitching like a league ace... Bae Je-seong delivered the first Quality Start in 1,079 days.

*This content was translated by AI.

This game demonstrated why KT Wiz is considered a strong championship favorite this year. Fifth starter Bae Je-seong (30) faced off against league ace Adam Oller (33, KIA Tigers) and delivered a pitch that held its own without yielding an inch.

On the 4th, Bae made his starting appearance in the away game against KIA at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League, pitching six innings with five hits allowed, two walks, five strikeouts, and no runs scored.

KT lost 3-4 after allowing a walk-off sacrifice fly in extra innings of the 10th, ending their three-game winning streak with a record of 69 wins, 3 ties, and 44 losses. Fortunately, Samsung Lions, who were half a game behind in second place, also lost on the same day, allowing KT to maintain its lead.

Despite the disappointing loss, Bae Je-seong's outstanding performance could not be overshadowed. The starting matchup was initially unfavorable for KT. KIA's starter Oller has received ace-level treatment this year, recording 11 wins and 9 losses with a 2.99 ERA over 24 games, pitching 141⅓ innings and striking out 154 batters.

He was powerful again today, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters in six and two-thirds innings, giving up only two earned runs. Against KT's lineup that had scored 28 points in the previous three games against Hanwha, Oller maintained a no-hit bid through the fifth inning and struck out all nine of the starting batters at least once.

The pitcher who kept pace with Oller, also allowing zero runs, was KT's fifth starter Bae Je-seong. Bae threw 97 pitches in total: 57 four-seam fastballs clocked up to 151 km/h, 37 sliders, and three forkballs. Most notably, his command stood out as he freely utilized both sides of the plate and varied pitch heights.

The highlight came in the bottom of the second inning with one out and runners on first and third. Leadoff batter Na Sung-beom connected a high, fast pitch into an infield hit to center field, and Kim Sun-bin selected an outside breaking ball to reach base, resulting in no outs and runners on first and second. Bae remained composed. He induced a groundout from Lee Ho-yeon with a low slider. With one out and runners on first and third, Kim Ho-ryeong kept fouling off pitches, so Bae instead hit him with a 148 km/h fastball in the hanbok zone, resulting in a swinging strikeout.

Against Kim Tae-gun, Bae showed a 147 km/h fastball first, then dropped a 132 km/h slider on a similar trajectory. Kim's batted ball became a weak grounder to the second baseman. The crisis that began with no outs and runners on first and second was resolved without allowing any runs. Trouble continued to arise. In the third inning, Kim Do-young hit a two-run double that struck the upper part of the left-field wall for a home run-like shot. However, he caught the following batter Na Sung-beom in a flyout. In the sixth inning with two outs, Lee Ho-yeon hit a triple down the right-field line, but Bae retired Kim Ho-ryeong with a flyout to right field, completing six innings on his own strength.

This was a Quality Start (QS: six or more innings and three or fewer earned runs) achieved for the first time in 1,079 days. The last time Bae Je-seong recorded a Quality Start was on September 21, 2023, against the Suwon Lotte Giants, when he pitched seven scoreless innings.

Given that Bae's season has not been smooth so far, this Quality Start carries significant meaning. During this year's spring training, his physical condition and pitching balance were excellent enough to be expected as a starter. However, shoulder pain emerged, derailing the plan. He began the season in the bullpen and continued to alternate between starting and middle relief roles while waiting for opportunities without a fixed position.

In a previous interview, Bae expressed regret over losing his pitching balance due to injury but refused to blame others. He said, "In the past, I started the season in a secure position. This situation is ultimately due to my own lack of ability. That doesn't mean I have no ambition. When opportunities come sporadically like this, I need to show slightly better performance each time."

That resolve became reality in a head-to-head matchup against a league ace. While Oller dominated KT's lineup with 10 strikeouts using sheer power, Bae freely adjusted the locations of his fastballs and sliders, preventing KIA's batters from avoiding contact. The score remained 0-0 through six innings. At least in terms of the starting pitcher duel, KT's fifth starter did not yield an inch to KIA's ace.

Therefore, Bae Je-seong's resurgence is especially welcome for leading KT. During the Asian Games period in September in Aichi and Nagoya, key pitchers including starters So Hyoung-jun (25) and Oh Won-seok (25), as well as closer Park Young-hyun (23), are scheduled to be called up to the national team. Bae will enter the starting rotation during that period to fill the gap.

Before the game on the 4th, KT manager Lee Kang-cheol announced his intention to use Oh Won-seok in the bullpen until the 15th, when players are expected to be called up for the national team. He stated, "(Oh) is going to the Won Seok-i (CEO) team, so we need to get (Bae) Je-seong adjusted to starting. We also need to keep Oh's game sharp, but we cannot abandon our team operations. Fortunately, there are about 10 games during the national team call-up period, so it seems we can rotate with four starters."

With that trust in place, Bae Je-seong faced off against the opposing ace and delivered his best pitching performance. Alongside him, KT also proved why they are considered championship contenders.

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*This content was translated by AI.