Professional baseball team Hanwha Eagles is cruising with a strong mound in the exhibition games. Although it's mid-March, there are six pitchers throwing over 150 km/h, showcasing the KBO league's best fastball lineup. The '7.8 billion won FA' Eom Sang-baek (29) is slightly intimidated.

Hanwha won the game against NC in Changwon on the 16th, 5-3, in a 7-inning rain-shortened game. Following two consecutive losses at the opening, including one draw, Hanwha has secured four wins and two losses and one draw, achieving a four-game winning streak. Hanwha, alongside KIA (4 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws) in a tie for second place in the exhibition games, has a team ERA of 2.21, placing it second.

In the game on the 16th against NC, starting pitcher KODI Poncé, despite the bad weather, showcased his fastball reaching 155 km/h and demonstrated a variety of pitches including curveballs, forkballs, sliders, and two-seam fastballs, achieving a 'no-hitter' with 5 innings pitched, 2 walks, 1 hit batter, and 6 strikeouts without allowing any runs. Poncé marked his second consecutive no-hit victory after his first outing on the 10th against SSG in Munhak, where he pitched 4 innings with 3 hits allowed, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts, and no runs allowed. With 3 hits and 4 walks allowed over 9 innings in the exhibition games, and no runs given up, he has significantly raised expectations.

Another foreign pitcher, Ryan Weiss, also threw up to 155 km/h in the game against SSG on the 11th, recording a victory with 4⅔ innings pitched, 5 hits allowed, no walks, 7 strikeouts, and no runs allowed. Along with Poncé and Weiss, bullpen pitchers such as Moon Dong-joo (159 km/h), including Kim Seo-hyun (156 km/h), Jeong Woo-joo (153 km/h), and Han Seung-hyuk (151 km/h) all threw fastballs over 150 km/h in this exhibition season. While a pitcher's speed isn't everything, there's nothing as definitive as overwhelming the opponent with fastballs.

With so many fastball pitchers, 'ace' Ryu Hyun-jin even joked, "I think I'm bringing down the team's average speed." He laughed while saying, "I joke with Lee Tae-yang that 'the two of us lower the average speed together,'" expressing admiration for the younger pitchers who are throwing such powerful pitches.

Eom Sang-baek, who joined Hanwha with a maximum 7.8 billion won FA contract last winter, also laughed and said, "I know the reality (that I'm not as fast anymore)." He continued, "I used to throw fastballs once. Now (pitches over 150 km/h) come out two or three times a year, but every pitcher has their own style," expressing high praise for Hanwha's pitching, saying, "Wow, it's good. Our pitchers are really good. The chances of winning will increase if the pitchers hold down their opponents."

Ryu Hyun-jin and Eom Sang-baek, who envied the 150 km/h pitchers, have also raised their performance in the exhibition games by playing to their respective styles. In the games against Lotte on the 13th and 14th, Ryu recorded 4 innings pitched, 4 hits allowed (1 home run), 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, and 2 earned runs, while Eom pitched 5 innings with 1 hit allowed, no walks, 2 strikeouts, and no runs scored. Both pitchers threw up to 147 km/h as they concluded their preparations for the season.

The starting four, consisting of Ryu Hyun-jin, Poncé, Weiss, and Eom Sang-baek, are a formidable lineup that would not be outmatched against any team. If Moon Dong-joo, who is gradually increasing his pace to manage his shoulder, enters the starting rotation by April, the best starting pitching staff in the league can be established. Until Moon joins the rotation, second-year left-hander Jo Dong-wook will take on the role of the temporary fifth starter.

In the bullpen, closer Joo Hyun-sang leads the winning group alongside Park Sang-won, Han Seung-hyuk, Kim Seo-hyun, and Kim Beom-soo, while Lee Tae-yang and Kim Jong-soo, who are returning after elbow surgery and rehabilitation, have added depth to the pitching roster. Additionally, rookies are now competing for spots on the opening roster. Left-handed Kwon Min-kyu is aiming for a spot in the bullpen with his exceptional control, while Jeong Woo-joo has been throwing strong pitches that are almost too good to send down to the second team considering just his performance.

The first-team roster consists of 28 players, typically including 13 to 14 pitchers. With everyone performing well in the exhibition games, Manager Kim Kyung-moon faces deep contemplation regarding the construction of his pitching roster. It's a tough situation where any omission feels regrettable. Since the opening series, which won't include the 3rd to 5th starters, allows for an additional 2 to 3 bullpen pitchers to be registered, competition will continue even after the exhibition games end.

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