“Will Korea’s November cold be a problem?” I pitched for four years in a snowy city! KT foreign pitcher’s 5-inning no-hitter, 10 strikeouts display of dominance fuels confidence: “Looking forward to our first Korean Series”

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

“I pitched for three to four years in Salt Lake City. It gets a lot of snow there and is extremely cold. Because I am accustomed to that kind of weather, I do not think it will have a major impact.”

The foreign pitcher who arrived at the height of summer expressed confidence that Korea’s harsh November cold would be no problem either. KT Wiz foreign pitcher Davis Daniel (30), who delivered a dominant performance with a 5-inning no-hitter and 10 strikeouts, had good reason not to worry about the cold.

Daniel started in a practice game against the Military Sports Agency (Sangmu) at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 27th, preparing for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League Korean Series (KS). He dominated with five scoreless innings, allowing no hits, one walk, one hit batter, and striking out 10. KT also drove in nine hits to secure a decisive 7-0 victory.

He threw only 62 pitches. Centered on his two-seam fastball (24 pitches), which reached a top speed of 146 km/h, he mixed in a sweeper (15 pitches), cutter (9 pitches), changeup (8 pitches), four-seam fastball (5 pitches), and curveball (1 pitch). He also recorded 41 strikes. His ability to record strikeouts was particularly notable. After retiring the side in the top of the first inning with 10 pitches, Daniel faced a bases-loaded threat in the top of the second inning after a walk and a hit batter put runners on first and second base, but he retired Kim Byung-jun with a fly out to center field and struck out Shin Yong-seok.

He became even more dominant thereafter. In the top of the third inning, he struck out Yang Do-geun, Kim Gyu-min, and Jung Hyun-seung; in the top of the fourth, he struck out Lee Tae-gyeong, Park Ji-hwan, and Jang Jae-young. After recording seven consecutive strikeouts, Daniel completed his task by retiring the side in the top of the fifth inning with just eight pitches. Attention now turns to the Korean Series, which opens on November 2. The opponent will be either the KIA Tigers or the Samsung Lions. However, what is more concerning than that is the rapidly dropping temperature.

The maximum temperature in Suwon on the 27th was only 10 degrees Celsius above zero. On the 28th, the perceived temperature dropped to a low of 2.4 degrees Celsius. The Korean Series, which begins in November, is also expected to face a cold snap, effectively making it a winter series. In a situation where injury concerns are growing, Daniel, who has never experienced the postseason in his career, was surprisingly not too concerned about this aspect.

This was due to his experience playing for four years with the Salt Lake Bees, a Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Daniel began with five games in 2021, then recorded a 6-7 record and a 4.49 ERA in 21 games in 2022, and won seven games in 22 appearances for the Salt Lake Bees in 2024. Salt Lake City, located in Utah, USA, is famous to Korean sports fans as the host site of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

It is known even within the United States for its cold winter weather, having hosted the Winter Olympics. The average high temperature in November locally is about 10 degrees Celsius, and the low temperature hovers around minus 1 degree Celsius. This is actually lower than Suwon’s average November high of about 12.5 degrees Celsius and low of about 2.7 degrees Celsius. That is why Korea’s early winter weather is not particularly unfamiliar to Daniel.

Daniel said, “This will be the first postseason of my career. I think it will become the most competitive game among those I have pitched in so far. I am also looking forward to the atmosphere in the stadium and the support from the fans.”

He is also a strong candidate to start Game 1 of the Korean Series. Daniel smiled and said, “If I am named the first starter, it will be a great honor. I will prepare well and do my best so that our team can have a good start.”

He did not mind whether the opponent was KIA or Samsung. Daniel, who was inserted as a replacement player in the middle of the season, appeared in three games against KIA, recording a 1-1 record and a 3.60 ERA, but has not yet pitched against Samsung. Daniel expressed his expectations, saying, “I can play well no matter which team advances. Because I have faced KIA several times, I have a lot of information on them. Having that information is an advantage. On the other hand, I have never faced Samsung yet, so that could actually be an advantage as well. No matter which team advances, it will be an interesting Korean Series.”

He also expressed confidence regarding the foreign pitching duo with Logan Allen. Daniel emphasized, “It is true that both KIA and Samsung have good foreign players. But our role is to face the batters. We will pitch our best so that our team can win, just as we have done until now.”

Having many experienced veterans is also a strength for KT. On this point, Daniel explained, “Our team definitely has many veterans. I also know that we played in the Korean Series just a few years ago. The veteran players are keeping the clubhouse atmosphere from dropping. We told them to prepare as if the Korean Series were just another game, and overall, we are preparing well.”

Finally, Daniel stated emphatically, “The Korean Series will be an atmosphere I have never experienced before. It is a different environment, so I am both excited and worried. But it is also just one baseball game, so I will not worry about it and will focus on doing what I need to do.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original