“One or two starts is not enough.”

Kim Do-young (20, KIA) made a mature comment after the Gwangju Hanwha game on Sunday that was uncharacteristic of a second-year pro: He genuinely respected and recognized his partner and rival Moon Dong-ju (20, Hanwha) as an industry partner. They didn’t want their rivalry to be highlighted.

Kim Do-young and Moon Dong-joo, two of Gwangju’s top prospects, played two two-hit games in Gwangju on the 6th and 27th of this month. On the 6th, Moon Dong-joo went 2-for-3 with a walk and a hit, while Kim Do-young went 1-for-2 with a hit and a walk on the 27th.

Win or lose, the matchup was a feast for the eyes. Moon mixes a mid-150km fastball with a 140km slider and a 120km curveball, while Kim has a foul-cutting and hard-hitting fastball and changeup. They are definitely the most talented pitchers in their age group.

In their first meeting, Moon used his curveball to good effect against Kim, but on this day, he unleashed a 155-kilometer fastball on Kim. His fastest pitch of the day came against Kim Do-young. While Kim was unable to generate much of an at-bat against Moon’s fastball, he did manage to push a 152-kilometer fastball for a hit in the third inning to seal the deal. In his second at-bat, he doggedly fouled off a 154-155 mph fastball and then picked apart a slider and curveball for a single.

Kim, however, gave credit to Moon. You’d think he’d be talking about his fastball, but he was referring to his slider, which he threw 12 times that day. “Dong-ju’s slider was very sharp. It’s not easy to hit it,” he said. In reality, Moon’s slider has the velocity of a fastball. It’s untouchable if you’re good enough to differentiate between strikes and balls.

Kim even said, “What Dong-ju has gotten better at than when he was in high school is catching the count (strikes) quickly. You have to think about it and react to it. He had a fastball in high school, but his changeup was also very good. He got less attention because of his fastball, but I knew his changeup was good.”

Moon Dong-ju started as the fifth starter, but eventually became the third starter. It’s true that Hanwha’s 4-5 starters are weak, and it’s also true that Moon is better than most teams’ 5 starters. In 22 games, he has an 8-8 record with a 3.62 ERA. No other second-year pitcher in all 10 clubs has performed this well. Even Ahn Woo-jin (Hanwha) didn’t do this in his second year. This is why Kim’s comments are not 100% lip service.

Going forward, some believe Moon will be even better than Ahn if he reduces the ups and downs of his changeup and improves his game management skills. Then he will be a real Hanwha ace. He needs time, and he’s getting it now.먹튀검증

Moon Dong-ju will finish the season on April 2 against the Jamsil LG Electronics. He threw 114⅓ innings and was approaching the 120-inning limit he set before the season. He will then take a break to rest and get in shape for the Hangzhou Asian Games in October. While he is at a disadvantage in the Rookie of the Year race as he no longer has points, Hanwha has taken the long view and opted for practicality.