It’s hard to believe: The nation’s top-winning pitcher, a national team representative, feels the weight on his shoulders. Will he become a savior before joining the national team tomorrow (14th)?

*This content was translated by AI.

Doosan Bears has lost the initiative after dropping the first of crucial matchups against NC Dinos. Can 20-year-old national team pitcher Choi Min-seok, who leads the league in wins, become their savior?

On the 12th, Doosan suffered a 9-10 defeat to NC in a regular-season home game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.

With this loss, Doosan recorded 63 wins, 60 losses, and 4 draws, maintaining sole fifth place in the league. However, the gap with sixth-place NC (59 wins, 60 losses, 2 draws), which had won four consecutive games, has narrowed to just two games. Meanwhile, the distance from fourth-place KIA Tigers has widened to four games.

This season, Doosan holds an advantage over NC with a record of eight wins and four losses. However, the remaining four matchups have become even more critical.

Doosan will face NC in their final weekend game at Jamsil Stadium on the 13th at 5 p.m. If Doosan loses this game as well, the gap with NC will shrink to just one game. Conversely, a victory would extend the lead to three games. As the season nears its end, the difference between a one-game and three-game margin is enormous.

Moreover, during the Asian Games period, two of Doosan’s ace national team pitchers will be absent: Kwak Bin and Choi Min-seok-i (CEO), who are set to join their respective teams.

This is why Choi Min-seok’s shoulders feel even heavier. On the 13th, Doosan will start him in a crucial game. It will be his final appearance before joining the national team for the Asian Games on the 14th.

Choi Min-seok has appeared in 24 games this season, recording 13 wins, four losses, and an ERA of 2.69. He shares first place in the league’s win category with LG Twins’ Im Chan-kyu (13 wins). Additionally, he ranks second in ERA behind Kwak Bin (ERA 2.26).

Over a total of 133⅔ innings this season, he has allowed 117 hits (seven home runs), issued 53 walks, recorded 117 strikeouts, and surrendered 52 runs (40 earned). His WHIP stands at 1.27, with an opponent batting average of 0.233. He has achieved 15 quality starts (six innings or more with three or fewer earned runs).

He has been particularly strong against NC this season. In three appearances, he recorded two wins without a loss and posted an ERA of 1.00. Over 18 innings, he allowed 13 hits (one home run), issued six walks, struck out 17 batters, and surrendered three runs (two earned), with an opponent batting average of 0.217. This season, Bleyne went 5-for-5 with one home run against Choi Min-seok, while Park Geon-woo went 5-for-2, both effectively targeting him.

The void left by Kwak Bin and Choi Min-seok will be filled by Choi Seung-yong and Park Shin-ji. Doosan manager Kim Won-hyung stated on the 12th before the NC game: “Recently, our pitchers have not faced continuous issues. They are fulfilling their roles well. However, we need more runs from our offense, which has been difficult lately.” Regarding the absence of Kwak Bin and Choi Min-seok, he added: “Choi Seung-yong and Park Shin-ji will step in. The order is already set. During the Asian Games period, eight games will be played. We’ll likely need around four starting pitchers.”

Can Choi Min-seok deliver a victory gift to Doosan fans before joining Choi Min-seok-i (CEO)?

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*This content was translated by AI.