KT Wiz pitcher So Hyung-jun (24) has completed his preparation for the regular season through the Futures League.
So Hyung-jun started the game against the KIA Tigers in the 2025 Mediheal KBO Futures League at the Iksan Stadium on the 20th, pitching 4 innings, allowing 5 hits, no walks, striking out 6 batters, and recording no earned runs.
In exhibition games, he performed well, pitching 3 innings with 3 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, and no earned runs against LG on the 8th, and 4 innings with 4 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts against NC on the 14th. Up to this point, he has pitched 11 innings over 3 games with just 1 earned run and an earned run average of 0.82.
So Hyung-jun began the first inning by inducing Choi Jung-yong to hit a ground ball to second base. He struck out Kim Seok-hwan with a swing and miss, but a wild pitch allowed a runner on first base. However, he struck out Oh Sun-woo with a curveball and struck out Lee Young-jae looking with a high fastball to finish the inning.
In the second inning, despite Ko Jong-wook reaching first base on a fielding error by third baseman Lee Ho-yeon, So induced the next batter, Ye Jin-won, into a ground ball to the shortstop, leading to a 6-4-3 consolidation. He then got Kang Min-jae to ground out to the pitcher, finishing the inning with three batters.
In the third inning, he struck out Shin Myung-seung swinging with a changeup, but allowed a single to Park Min and a hit to Choi Jung-yong, putting him in a 1-out, 1st and 2nd base crisis. However, he struck out Kim Seok-hwan looking with a high fastball and got Oh Sun-woo to swing and miss on a low curveball, escaping the inning without allowing a run.
In the fourth inning, his scoreless streak came to an end as he gave up a single to leading batter Lee Young-jae. So induced Ko Jong-wook into a line drive to second base and retired Ye Jin-won with a fly out to left field, recording two outs. However, he then allowed a single to Kang Min-jae and a timely hit to Shin Myung-seung, giving up 1 run.
In the continued situation with two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, he induced Park Min to ground out to second base, ending the fourth inning without allowing any more runs. So, who was scheduled to throw 70 pitches, finished the game with a total of 68 pitches over 4 innings. His top speed was clocked at 145 km/h.
So Hyung-jun, who won the Rookie of the Year award in 2020, has made 86 appearances (442⅔ innings) over 5 seasons in the KBO League, recording 35 wins and 19 losses with an earned run average of 3.80 and striking out 301 batters. After undergoing Tommy John surgery on his elbow in May 2023, So was out for the season after just 3 games and faced delays in his return due to minor damage to his elbow flexor during his rehabilitation appearances last year.
After returning to the first team as a relief pitcher in September last year and pitching through the postseason, So will return as a starter this year. He is set to enter the season as the fourth starter, behind Emmanuel De Jesus, William Cuevas, and Koh Young-pyo. His expected appearance is against Doosan on the 26th.
Under the leadership of manager Lee Kang-cheol, KT finished first in the exhibition games with a record of 6 wins and 1 loss (win rate .857). Despite the offseason departures of starting pitcher Um Sang-baek and starting shortstop Sim Woo-jun to Hanwha as free agents, the gaps do not seem too significant. KT has bolstered its offense by signing third baseman Heo Kyung-min as a free agent, and the rotation that includes So Hyung-jun remains solid. KT is garnering attention as a formidable opponent to 'special lecture' KIA, which is challenging for a second consecutive championship.
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