KT native Ace Sohn Joon-jun (22) has grown one step further through the pain of the 2023 WBC (World Baseball Classic) Australia match.
KT Wiz won 2-0 in an exhibition game against NC Dinos in the 2023 KBO League held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 27th. As a result of the day, they recorded 6 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses, running 3 consecutive victories in demonstration games.
The protagonist of the victory was So Joon So, the starter. In the final mock test against the NC lineup, he showed good pitching with 61 pitches in 4 innings, 2 hits토토사이트, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts and no runs. He made full use of various breaking balls such as curveball, changeup, two-seam, and cutter under a fastball of up to 143km, and revealed his season prospects with stable pitches except for the third inning when he was in danger of scoring. KT coach Kang-Cheol Lee also said, “Hyung-Jun So has found his pace.”
After the game, Joon Sohn said, “The number of pitches was originally 80 today, but the weather was chilly, so I stopped throwing it.” He thought it was a regular season game and threw it. Unlike the game on the 21st, when he threw, his rhythm revived,” he said. Joon Sohn returned from the WBC and was shaken with 5 runs in 3⅓ innings against Doosan in Suwon on the 21st.
He showed a gaze that supplementation was needed for redemption. Joon Sohn’s best two-seam speed was 144 km, which was short of his regular season numbers. Joon Sohn said, “Last year’s average velocity was 145 km based on Trackman. However, he has to increase it because the highest is 144 km now. He explained, “I think it is because he took a little break after attending the tournament and then prepared for the season again.”
Joon Sohn actively tested the slider he was practicing for the variety of pitches that day. Regarding this, he said, “I felt uncomfortable when I threw it, but (Jang) Seong-woo senior said it was okay, so I will try to use it more in the future. The goal is to create tunneling similar to a fastball, and to throw it with a trajectory that moves laterally rather than vertically.”
I could also hear the impressions of going to the WBC, which was recently concluded. So Joon Sohn took the mound in the 7th inning with a 4-2 lead in the group match against Australia, which was a watershed for advancing to the quarterfinals, but failed to live up to his beliefs with 2 runs in ⅓ innings. Afterwards, he played in the final game against China and left 3 scoreless innings.
Joon Sohn said, “I felt a lot of lack. He also received a lot of inspiration from watching good players.” Rather than thinking about the Asian Games, the priority is to focus on the season and show a better game and better image.”
Lastly, we asked Joon Sohn about his goals for this season. He said, “I couldn’t achieve the 20th Quality Start last year, so I really want to do the 20th this year. I think it will be a better season if we digest as much innings as last year.” Joon Sohn played 171⅓ innings with 18 quality starts last season.