Seoul: For KT Wiz ace William Cuevas, April 23 was a challenging day on the mound. Against the SSG Landers, the typically dependable right-hander struggled, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits, including three home runs, across four innings. He notably failed to strike out a single batter, marking the first time since joining the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2019 that he didn't record a "K" in at least four innings of work.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cuevas quickly bounced back from this rough outing. Just six days later, he delivered an impressive performance with six shutout innings against the Doosan Bears, striking out a season-high seven batters and giving up a season-low two hits. This marked his first scoreless start since June 2024. In a conversation with Yonhap News Agency, Cuevas credited the Boston Red Sox for instilling in him the ability to develop a short memory during his stints with them in 2016 and 2018. "I just flipped the page and started over again," Cuevas said. "I can do that."
Currently, Cuevas finds significant support from his family. "The fact that I have my wife and two kids... I do have a very easy path to not think about that (bad game)," he shared. "It's very easy to forget about it when you have two little ones that are just waiting for you and jumping on top of you and telling you that they love you. That's a huge help."
The recent game against Doosan helped lower Cuevas' ERA from 5.71 to 4.87. However, Cuevas remains indifferent to stats. "I don't check numbers till late in the season, probably September," he explained. "I don't like to be up and down mentally, checking numbers. The only thing I look at on the scoreboard is the number of pitches. Other than that, I never check stats because that's an easy way to get pretty stressed."
Now in his seventh season, Cuevas is the longest-tenured foreign player in the KBO. Pitchers often face challenges in maintaining their effectiveness, but Cuevas embraces this aspect of the game. "It's pretty fun because the same way they know you, you know everybody else," he noted. "It's definitely a challenge every year."
Cuevas also acknowledged the talent of young KBO players today, noting that their development adds a new layer to his annual challenge. Additionally, he enjoys serving as a mentor to his younger teammates. "I just try to do what I wish I could have when I was young," Cuevas said. "I wish I could have somebody that could give me advice like I am doing right now with the kids."
Health remains a priority for Cuevas as he looks forward to the remainder of the season. "I'm happy that I'm healthy. That's the main thing that I always keep in my head," he emphasized. "If I'm healthy, a lot of good things are going to happen."