I asked chief coach Son Seung-rak, and he said that it's rare for pitch speed to come out at this level.

Professional baseball KIA Tigers manager Lee Beom-ho was not worried. He believed that the buildup of Cho Sang-woo, who was brought in with great care and a bold decision by KIA, had properly been achieved. Although the result of his first official game appearance was poor, he focused on the process.

This past winter, Cho Sang-woo joined KIA through a blockbuster trade. With Jang Hyun-sik obtaining free agency status and transferring to LG, a gap in the bullpen arose, prompting KIA to acquire Cho Sang-woo from Kiwoom by giving 1 billion won in cash and two draft picks for 2026 (1st round and 4th round). With the addition of national team stalwart Cho Sang-woo, KIA was able to maintain a strong bullpen with Jeong Hyeon-sik, Choi Jae-han, Kwon Do-kyu, and Lee Ji-man despite the loss of Jang Hyun-sik.

Last year, he ended the season early in early August due to shoulder inflammation. If there were lingering effects from the injury, KIA could have found itself in a difficult situation. However, Cho Sang-woo engaged in healthy personal training in the United States during the offseason and joined spring training, preparing for the season just like any other pitcher.

The exhibition game against Lotte on the 8th was Cho Sang-woo's first official game in a KIA uniform, but the result was not satisfactory. In the 7th inning, with KIA leading 3-2, he allowed a double to lead-off batter Park Seung-wook that hit the upper part of the right fence. He threw a fastball at 147 km/h, but he was caught off guard. After that, his command wavered, and he issued a walk to Choi Hang, creating a first-and-second base crisis with no outs.

Later, it seemed like they were going to catch the second base runner Park Seung-wook with a throw from catcher Han Jun-soo during Jang Du-seong's at-bat. At that moment, Park Seung-wook quickly headed for third base. In the meantime, KIA seemed to be trying to catch first base runner Choi Hang in a rundown, but no one was at first base. Cho Sang-woo was prepared to cover third base, so he was unable to cover first base.

Ultimately, the crisis intensified to no outs, first and third base. Jang Du-seong was retired on a foul fly by the catcher, allowing Cho Sang-woo to breathe a sigh of relief. However, with one out and runners at first and third, he fell behind 3 balls on Taxes. Despite going to a full count, he gave up a game-tying single to Taxes, making the score 3-3.

The crisis continued with one out and runners at first and third. Han Tae-yang handled a shallow pop-up to right field, keeping the situation at two outs with runners at first and third, but a wild pitch occurred during Jeong Hoon's at-bat, allowing the runner from third base to score. Catcher Han Jun-soo's blocking was regrettable. He struck out Jeong Hoon to end the inning, but Cho Sang-woo left the mound with a disappointed expression.

His final record was 1 inning, 23 pitches, 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and 2 earned runs. He committed a blown save and became the losing pitcher as the team lost 4-3. Nevertheless, Cho Sang-woo showcased that he had no issues with his physical condition as he reached a maximum speed of 147 km/h that day.

Manager Lee Beom-ho did not worry too much about Cho Sang-woo's official first appearance ahead of the exhibition game against Lotte on the 9th. He stated, "Cho Sang-woo has always been a player with good results. What is important in the current situation is Cho Sang-woo's arm condition. Last year, I was very concerned about the issues he had, but the fact that he has reached 146-147 km/h now indicates that he is in a state where he can throw adequately as he did before."

He also considered that it was necessary to work with the catchers. Coach Lee said, "Our catchers have received Cho Sang-woo's pitches in the bullpen, but they haven't in real games, so they need time to adapt to how the ball moves, what advantages and disadvantages there are in games, and the trajectories he pitches. I believe that as he adapts and gains experience, Cho Sang-woo will be able to play a good role."

Son Seung-rak, the chief coach who was responsible for the back door during his time at Nexen (now Kiwoom), also added that Cho Sang-woo's physical condition was unusual. Manager Lee Beom-ho noted, "Son Seung-rak has been around Cho Sang-woo, and he said that it is particularly rare for pitch speed to reach around 146 km/h during the exhibition game stage. He emphasized that he has prepared very well to achieve good results this year and that it might increase by 2-3 km/h once the season starts, so it is essential to control his pace well."

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