“The focus is too much on just the fast balls…”

On the 13th at the Busan Sajik Stadium, during the professional baseball exhibition game between Lotte and Hanwha, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon smiled when asked about Moon Dong-joo, who made headlines by throwing a fastball reaching a speed of 159.7 km/h in the match against SSG on the 11th. He said, “(It was his first appearance since shoulder pain) I told him not to expect much, but it was good. His arm swing was better than when he was at his best last year. I praised it as the best I’ve seen.

Following Moon Dong-joo, Kim Seo-hyun also threw at a maximum speed of 156 km/h, leaving Hanwha fans satisfied despite not having eaten. Hanwha has formed a ‘young fireballers’ trio with rookie Jeong Woo-joo, who also pitched up to 154 km/h, along with foreign pitchers Cody and Ryan Weiss, as well as bullpen pitchers Han Seung-hyuk and Park Sang-won, all capable of throwing fastballs exceeding 150 km/h.

As interest in the ‘fastball army’ Hanwha is growing, manager Kim Kyung-moon noted, “I appreciate the interest, and while having fast balls can be a point of pride, I hope the focus isn’t solely on that. Baseball requires precise control beyond just speed. A young player like Kwon Min-kyu doesn’t just throw well because his ball is fast. Balancing strength and control is crucial in baseball.”

It’s not something you can teach; fastballs are a blessed talent. Hanwha, which has consistently gathered the top high school fastball pitchers in recent years, is receiving envy from other teams. However, manager Kim emphasized the importance of control amidst the wealth of fastball resources, using 19-year-old rookie Kwon Min-kyu as an example. Whenever Kwon Min-kyu is mentioned, Kim remarks, “The scouts did well,” and the reason was evident in the match against Lotte on the 13th.

Starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin gave way to Kwon Min-kyu, who took the mound in the 5th inning. He threw a fastball to the first batter Jeon Min-jae, followed by a slider on the third pitch, both of which were in the strike zone, achieving two strikes. Although there were consecutive foul balls on the 4th and 5th pitches, he struck out Jeon Min-jae with a low slider on the sixth pitch.

Continuing against left-handed batter Hwang Seong-bin, he quickly garnered two strikes with consecutive sliders and fastballs thrown outside. Hwang Seong-bin managed to select two balls and responded with consecutive fouls, but Kwon Min-kyu struck him out with a low fastball on the seventh pitch, inducing a swing with a borderline strike.

Although he only faced two batters before leaving the mound, Kwon Min-kyu’s strengths were clearly displayed. Out of a total of 13 pitches, 10 were strikes, showcasing an aggressive approach. The capability to accurately place both fastballs and sliders allowed for such pitching.

Kwon Min-kyu, who came from Seokwanga High School and was drafted by Hanwha as the 12th overall pick in the 2nd round this year, showcased outstanding control by allowing only 4 walks in 54⅓ innings during his senior year last year. Although he was pushed to the 2nd round in the 2025 rookie draft filled with fastball pitchers, Hanwha did not miss out on him. Initially considering selecting a position player in the 2nd round, Hanwha called his name without hesitation when he was still available.

He was expected to be an immediate contributor, and he is adapting to the professional stage at a much faster pace than anticipated. In four external games (including one as a starter), spanning from Melbourne, Australia, to Okinawa, Japan, he left a strong impression by pitching 5⅔ innings with only 1 hit, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts without allowing any runs. He continued his streak in the exhibition games as well, pitching 2⅔ innings in three games with only 1 hit, no walks and 5 strikeouts without allowing any runs. He recorded 2 holds as well. Including practice games during the camp, he has a streak of 7 external games without allowing any runs in 8⅓ innings, having given up only 2 hits and 1 walk while achieving 10 strikeouts—a level of stability not typical for a 19-year-old rookie.

In this age of a ‘velocity revolution,’ Kwon Min-kyu, who is winning with outstanding control, said, “When I was in high school, I had moments of pain from trying to increase my velocity, but since then I have not overexerted myself. I originally had confidence in my control. I will survive with my control rather than my velocity.” However, during the match against Lotte, Kwon Min-kyu’s fastball velocity reached a maximum of 146 km/h, with an average of 143 km/h, which was competitive enough. As he gains strength, he could become a true ‘super jackpot’ pick for Hanwha.

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