KT Wiz's So Hyung-joon (24), who returned from elbow surgery, made his fans excited by making an all-out pitch that made him forget his absence. And his two-seam fastball, his main weapon, has become more sophisticated enough to make even a veteran catcher with 18 years of professional experience drop his tongue.카지노사이트

Last winter, KT lost the most wins among its pitchers and the must-win group. First, Kim Min (26), who played 77 ⅓ innings and recorded 21 holds last year, headed to SSG Landers through a one-on-one trade with Oh Won-seok (24). Eom Sang-baek (29), who won 13 games (10 losses), left for Hanwha Eagles in a four-year free agent contract worth up to 7.8 billion won (6.37 million U.S. dollars).

The move was possible because he was confident that he could fill the void. At the center of it was Cho So-jun, the next generation franchise star. Cho is a right-hander who joined the KBO Rookie of the Year draft in 2020 after graduating from Hoam Elementary School (Uijeongbu Little), copper Chang-joong, and Yoo Shin-go. He won the Rookie of the Year award with 13 wins and 6 losses and a 3.86 ERA in his first year since his debut, and posted a career-high 35 wins and 19 losses and a 3.80 ERA in 86 games over the next five years.

He also had a hard time. He became the first adult national team member at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but he suffered elbow pain. He underwent Tommy John Surgery meant to link tendons in his elbow in May that year, and only returned to the team in September last year.

In fact, he did not think it was an ordeal. He says it was a comma that he needed in his career to build up in the future. After the exhibition game on the 10th, Cho Hyung-joon told Star News, "I wanted to play baseball, but I felt it was good to rest like this. I have never rested playing baseball since I was eight years old. So at first, I felt empty not playing baseball, but it was a really good time."

"It was a time to look back on the past days I walked and think a lot about what to do in the future. In the meantime, I was only going to watch baseball and do well, but now I thought I should rest and enjoy throwing when I rest. I haven't been able to make a mark on the mound, but there were many times when a few games didn't go away, I was stressed out. It won't be easy, but I'm trying to enjoy that moment now," he added.

The two-year gap was a time when both human Cho Hyung-joon and baseball player Cho Hyung-joon grew up. The change was also felt in the game. He said, "I'm still in the process of balancing," but he recorded a 2.25 ERA in two games, five hits in four innings (one homer), two strikeouts and one run with no outs in a practice game in Okinawa, Japan. In the 2025 KBO exhibition game against the LG Twins at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 8th, he pitched a scoreless pitching by striking out many strikeouts in three innings (44 pitches), three hits, one walk, and five strikeouts.

Jang Sung-woo, a veteran catcher with 18 years of professional career who received the ball, cited Cho's two-seam fastball as his secret. Except for Koo Bon-hyuk's hit, Cho's two-seam fastball on the day showed overwhelming power and swing.

After the match on Tuesday, Jang said, "(Small) Hyeong-jun prepared really well. I heard that he felt a lot of things after taking two years off. That's why he prepared well and the ball was so good," adding, "Fast ball with two-seam is similar to LG's Chirinos." Korean players have rarely seen him throw a fastball. He throws more than 90 percent of his pitches in fastballs, but his cutters, curves, and changeups have improved a lot, so I have high expectations for him this year."

What was the difference between Cho's two-seam fastball and Cho's two-seam fastball? "Usually, a two-seam fastball is bent inward toward the batter. The fighting spirit of foreign players falls down like a fork ball. So did Chirinos' two-seam," Jang said. "The speed of (Small) Hyeong-jun also falls down a lot as his speed comes out late at 140 kilometers per hour. Korean hitters even think of it as a fork ball. It is hard for me to catch it, either. I have played in the pro league for 18 years, but I have never seen a two-seam fastball like Hyeong-jun does."

Jang mentioned Cho's unique hand structure as a reason for his unique pitching style. This is similar to the past when former national team coach Sun Dong-yeol (62) ruled the KBO League with sliders that only he could throw. "I don't know why, but (Small) Hyeong-jun has very small hands. His fingers are also short. Maybe it's because his hands are small. It's because the ball came out well. It's a unique case," Jang said.

"It's a natural trajectory of two-seam fastballs," Cho said. "It's hard to explain in simple words. I've been throwing like that since I was young, but batters fly in different trajectories than other players," Cho said. That's why I throw two-seam fastballs with more confidence. I also have pride in my pitches just because others are unfamiliar with them. "As the ball gained more strength after the surgery, the trajectory seems to be more curved (like a fork ball)."

Suwon KT Wiz Park, which welcomed many fans even though he said he needed a break, gave him comfort and longing. "I think I had more fun because there were a lot more fans here than before the surgery. I felt comfortable as if I came home. KT has been around since I was 20, but the more I talk to other team players, the better I feel our team is. I have pride in being able to play in such a good team," Cho said.

"We have made some changes in our starting lineup this year. However, Cuevas was a very good pitcher, and Heysus was one of the best pitchers in the league. (Ko) Young-pyo and Oh Won-seok are in the top three pitchers in the league. If we all rotate the starting rotation well, I am confident that we are among the top three pitchers in the league," he said. "My biggest intention is to finish the season by keeping the rotation well without any injuries. Rather than personal goals, I want to win the Korean Series once again."