"It was embarrassing, but I will not run away." That was the beginning of a "great season."

*This content was translated by AI.

"It was embarrassing."

That was the response when asked about his impressions of returning from the World Baseball Classic (WBC) to Kwak Bin (27), who had started for Doosan and pitched four scoreless innings at the Suwon KT Wiz Park, where the March 23 exhibition game between the Doosan Bears and the KT Wiz took place.

Kwak Bin appeared in relief in two games during the WBC held in early March, allowing two hits (one home run) and one earned run over 3⅔ innings for an ERA of 2.45. While the numbers were not particularly bad, the content was disappointing. He allowed a solo home run against Taiwan in the first round, and notably, in the quarterfinal match against the Dominican Republic, he walked three batters in a row and gave up two consecutive bases-loaded walks.

He stated, "I felt embarrassed and frustrated by how much I seemed to be running away. I am trying to change my mindset to think that it is actually better to just get hit," adding, "From now on, I will pitch with the determination to keep throwing strikes. Whether I give up 10 hits or 20, I will keep competing."

That was the start of a "great season." This year, Kwak Bin truly emerged as an ace not only for Doosan but also for South Korea.

His season record stands at 11 wins and 7 losses, with 45 runs allowed (40 earned) in 161 innings, 39 walks, 197 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.24. He has effectively secured the double crown for ERA and strikeouts, while also ranking first in WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched · 1.04) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.09).

In his 27 starts, he recorded 20 quality starts (QS · at least six innings with three or fewer earned runs), the most among pitchers from all 10 teams. He allowed four or more earned runs only twice and failed to complete five innings just twice. His average of 98.7 pitches per game is also the highest, demonstrating his consistency and durability.

Not only in the KBO League but also on the international stage, he displayed consistently mature skills. At the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held last month, he led the national team to a fifth consecutive gold medal with a scoreless, no-hitter performance over six innings against Taiwan in the crucial group stage match and one run allowed in 6⅓ innings in the final against Japan.

In his return game after the Asian Games, which was also his last regular season appearance on the 6th against the Lotte Giants at Sajik, Kwak Bin added 11 strikeouts to set a new record for right-handed pitchers in Bears history (previous record: Lindblom with 189 in 2019). Had he not missed approximately four starts due to national team selection, his pace would have been enough to surpass the club record held by Miranda (225 in 2021).

His only individual title was sharing the wins championship with Won Tae-in (26 · Samsung Lions) with 15 wins in 2024. It remains a regret that he missed out on the "triple crown" of wins, ERA, and strikeouts this year due to somewhat lacking luck in securing victories. However, it is no exaggeration to say that he achieved career highs in almost all other metrics, creating his best season since debuting in 2018.

Kwak Bin's 2026 season is not yet over. He is scheduled to start Doosan's first post-season game next week.

Since his debut, Kwak Bin has no post-season wins, with records of one loss in three games (ERA 9.64) in the Wild Card Series, one loss in one game (6.75) in the Junior Playoffs, and one loss in two games (4.76) in the Korea Series. This fall postseason could serve as the final gate for him to confirm his status as a true ace.

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*This content was translated by AI.