A waterfall curve that was shown in the first demonstration game of his professional debut. The ‘national batter’ who watched this was surprised.
The Doosan Bears lost 3-5 in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League demonstration game against the Samsung Lions held at Jamsil Stadium on the 25th.
Doosan gained one hope, leaving the outcome 스포츠토토of defeat. This is because they found a pitcher who reinforced the thin depth of the left-handed bullpen, which was a concern throughout last season.
Baek Seung-woo, who was nominated in the 9th pick (69th overall) in the 7th round of the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft, is a promising player whose main weapon is a fastball in the mid-140 km range and a curve with a large drop. Looking at the nomination list alone, he is a young player to watch over time. However, his pitching in his first exhibition match greatly raised expectations for him.
Back Seung-woo stood on the mound following Choi Ji-gang in the ninth inning. It was special that his first demonstration game in Jamsil, wearing a Doosan uniform. Having not had a chance to pitch in his last nine games, he boasted of his big heart in virtually his first pro game.
Back Seung-woo’s first opponent was Kim Tae-hoon, who had a batting average of 0.321 until the day before. However, Back Seung-woo handled the first batter well by handling the ground ball after a bold game on the body. The next hitter, pinch hitter Kim Jae-seong, was also in good condition with a batting average of 40% in the demonstration game. Nevertheless, he played head-to-head and finished with another ground ball.
Baek Seung-woo struck out Yoon Jeong-bin, his last opponent, after a 4-pitch game. He caught the count with a curveball with a big drop, and stole timing by using a fastball and changeup.
Baek Seung-woo was the only Doosan pitcher who pitched for more than one inning and did not allow a single hit. Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop’s surprised expression was captured on the broadcast screen while watching the match. Commentator Shim Jae-hak also praised Baek Seung-woo, saying, “Director Lee Seung-yeop’s expression is the same as mine.”
It is very difficult for a rookie pitcher to play his first game, especially in the ninth inning, and finish with a three-way shootout. Although he did not throw a fastball in the 150km range, it was impressive to properly utilize various breaking balls and heavy fastballs.
As mentioned earlier, Doosan is deeply concerned about the left-handed bullpen. There is obviously no shortage of right-handed resources, but the lack of left-handers makes it unbalanced. Of course, Baek Seung-woo is a rookie pitcher to keep an eye on. However, he gave me the belief that I can look forward to the growth potential in just one game.