Seoul: Amid what has been a lost year after two consecutive trips to the postseason in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the Doosan Bears have not had much to cheer about in 2025. Interim manager Cho Sung-hwan, though, has found a silver lining for a team stuck in ninth place among 10 clubs -- in the form of rookie pitcher Choi Min-seok.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi, who was the 16th-overall pick by the Bears at last year's draft, had a strong outing in a losing effort against the Samsung Lions on Tuesday, the eve of his 19th birthday. The right-hander threw a career-high seven innings, giving up just two earned runs. Both runs came via Kang Min-ho's two-run homer, after which Choi retired 15 straight batters. He later navigated out of a seventh-inning jam, helping his team stay in contention despite the lack of run support.
Choi's teammates provided zero run support, leading to a 4-1 defeat after scoring their lone run in the ninth inning. Choi's record now stands at 1-2 with a 3.03 ERA over seven outings, including five starts. Manager Cho praised Choi's abilities, noting his potential as a starting pitcher. Cho remarked, "He's our ace now. I think we have a really good starting pitcher on our hand."
Cho expressed particular admiration for Choi's focus and pitching efficiency. "Whereas other pitchers may worry about not getting hit, he understands that pitching to contact helps him," Cho said. Choi's performance included inducing 10 groundouts, despite only striking out two batters.
Cho also mentioned that the next challenge for Choi would be adjusting to opposing teams' strategies to counter his pitching style. "Teams will try to figure out how to beat him and we'll see how he handles that," Cho continued.
The condition of the Bears' pitching staff reflects the challenges the team faces, with their rotation ranking eighth in the KBO with a 4.69 ERA. Cole Irvin, a former big league starter, exemplifies the team's struggles with a 5-7 record and a 4.76 ERA, having not secured a win since May 5. Irvin aims to break his five-game losing streak in his next outing.
"We'll just have to wait for him to turn it around," Cho concluded, expressing hope that Irvin can regain his form and contribute positively to the team.