Right-handed pitcher Gwak Bin (24) caught attention as a pitcher with tremendous potential even before he was selected in the first round by the Doosan Bears in the 2018 rookie draft. After undergoing elbow ligament joint surgery during the 2018 season, his professional debut, there was a long hiatus, but since 2021, when he stepped on the first team stage again, he has been steadily drawing an upward trend and showing his potential. 먹튀검증
Kwak Bin, who recorded 4 wins and 7 losses and an ERA of 4.10 in 21 games in 2021, played an active role in 27 games last year with 8 wins and 9 losses and an ERA of 3.78, establishing himself as an axis of the starting lineup. In particular, thanks to his excellent pitching with 5 wins, 2 losses and 2.98 ERA in 11 games in the second half of last year, he was also selected for the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team held in March this year. With that momentum, there were high expectations that this season would show even more development. Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop also had strong faith.
Kwak Bin perfectly lived up to those expectations. From his first appearance this season, he proved his presence by spreading flawless pitches. He started against the Jamsil NC Dinos on the 4th and fought back with 2 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts and no runs in 7 innings. He didn’t win because he wasn’t supported by the batting line, but it was a pitch that deserved praise from everyone. He cooked the NC batting line by mixing various pitches such as fastballs (42) with a maximum speed of 152 km, curves (24), changeups (18), and sliders (10). He had no aftereffects from dropping out in the first round of the WBC.
Kwak Bin’s fastball speed is top-class in the league. In the past, he couldn’t use his powerful fastball properly because he was worried about pitching anxiety, but it’s different now. As the ball control stabilized, it became possible to attack the course. As a result, he is adding power to the curve with a large drop and the changeup of left-handed hitters. “(Kwak Bin-eun) believes that he is a pitcher who will represent our country in the future. The encouragement of catcher Eui-ji Yang, saying, “I believe that I will grow well,” is also a great strength. Yang Eui-ji has been working with Kwak Bin in the first year of his debut (2018), and Kwak Bin called Yang Eui-ji “a mother-like existence.”
The value of a pitcher who can throw a fast ball at 150 km/h on the desired course is enormous. Kwak Bin has been showing his ability since the second half of last year. In the past, if the image of a competitive domestic starting pitcher supporting foreign one-two punches was strong, now there is hope that he can go beyond this and leap to become the team’s ace. Coach Lee also praised Kwak Bin, saying, “He did the best pitching as a national representative.”
Doosan has to spend April without new foreign pitcher Dylan Pyle (registered name Dylan), who was injured after being hit in the head by a batted ball during spring camp. The shoulders of the starters, such as Raul Alcantara, Choi Won-jun, and Kwak Bin, who should play the role of the ace, are so heavy. In this situation, Kwak Bin’s ‘ace-level’ pitching is a hope factor that will greatly alleviate Doosan’s worries.