The best ace in South Korea who is recognized for his 160km, left Korea stained with 'academic violence' to go abroad? We need three more seasons
The best ace in South Korea who is recognized for his 160km, left Korea stained with 'academic violence' to go abroad? We need three more seasons
Blog Article
Five former major leaguers. The Kiwoom Heroes has established themselves as the most recognized major league academy in Korean baseball.메이저놀이터
Superstars have repeatedly left for the U.S., and they have experienced setbacks in autumn baseball for two consecutive years after advancing to the Korean Series in 2022. The environment within the team is also difficult to match compared to large clubs.
However, every player who joins Kiwoom has strong motivation. The entire team is full of youthful energy and vitality. Prospects constantly appear to fill the vacancy of the star player who left the team. Star players' overseas expansion is seen as an opportunity for young players to take the lead, not a drain on team power. This is a culture unique to Kiwoom, which is not found in other clubs that are striving to remain franchise stars.
Then, how about Ahn Woo-jin? His skills are in full swing in 2022. He played in 196 innings in 30 games and recorded 15 wins, 8 losses and a 2.11 ERA. He also had a good record of 9 wins, 7 losses and a 2.39 ERA in 2023 before being out for the season due to an elbow injury.
The verification has already been completed. No one denies that Ahn Woo-jin is the best pitcher in Korea, from retired players like Lee Dae-ho to incumbent coaches. He is considered the No. 1 pitcher who will compete in overseas leagues such as the Major League in the future.
In Korea, it is not easy to remove the stain of the last "school record." Since his team is also Kiwoom, many expect him to go overseas. Many people were disappointed that Ahn Woo-jin was also absent during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when he was not eligible for the Korean Baseball Association's (KBSA) national team.
However, Ahn's overseas expansion is not as easy as it sounds. Born in 1999, Ahn is already 26 years old this year. Given that special military service requirements are difficult to select players for the national team, Ahn chose to join the military immediately after leaving the season due to Tommy John surgery (reconstruction of the inner ligament of the elbow).
Ahn will be released from the mound in September this year. However, considering that Ahn is a social service worker, not a managing director, and the recovery period and aftereffects of Tommy John surgery, it is highly likely that Ahn will return to the mound in 2026.
The problem is that there are still three years left for Ahn Woo-jin to become a FA. Ahn Woo-jin has played steadily in the first team since his debut in 2018, but he has filled 145 days of FA training in only two seasons from 2022-2023. Even if seasons with insufficient number of registration days are filled, the number of recognized years is only four years.
In case of Lee Jung-hoo, he could have added to the season when he lacked national team points. However, Ahn is not a player who can wear the national flag.
In the end, if Ahn wants to challenge himself in overseas posting games like Kang Jung-ho, Park Byung-ho, Kim Ha-sung, Lee Jung-hoo, and Kim Hye-sung, Ahn will not be able to play until the winter of 2028 after completing three seasons as of his return to Korea in 2026. It is the year that Ahn will turn 30.
Ahn Woo-jin is working out at the training center of former Hanwha Eagles player Jinyoung Kim. The plan is to steadily build up until the call-up on September 17.