The Hanwha Eagles are solidly guarding their back door with their fireballer young guns.

Hanwha won 4-2 against the SSG Landers in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' game held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 17th. They have achieved their first three-game sweep of the year while riding a four-game winning streak. They started strong this year at Incheon, where they excelled last season with an 8-1 record. The team recorded 11 wins and 11 losses this season, marking a return to a .500 winning percentage for the first time in a long while, climbing to a tie for 5th in the league.

Starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin recorded a victory with 5⅓ innings pitched, giving up 6 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 2 while allowing 2 runs. This marks his second win of the season. The bullpen, consisting of Park Sang-won (⅔ inning, no runs), Jo Dong-wook (1 inning, no runs), Jung Woo-joo (1 inning, no runs), and Kim Seo-hyun (1 inning, no runs), secured the team's victory. Jung Woo-joo recorded his first hold in his debut, and Kim Seo-hyun achieved 5 saves this season.

In this game, the pitching of Jung Woo-joo, who took the mound in the 8th inning, and Kim Seo-hyun, who finished the game in the 9th, shone brightly. Right-handed rookie pitcher Jung Woo-joo, who was selected in the first round (2nd pick) of the 2025 Rookie Draft, is already receiving many opportunities in the first team. This season, he has appeared in 9 games (8 innings) with 1 hold and an earned run average of 4.50, and he secured his first hold in this game.

Jung Woo-joo, who threw fastballs at a top speed of 156 km/h on the broadcast screen, overwhelmed the batters. In a post-game interview, he said, “I recorded my first hold, but honestly, I still can't believe it. The chance to win means a lot to me, so I went to the mound with a more earnest mindset, and I’m glad the result was good.”

Except for the slider he threw to Oh Tae-gon, Jung Woo-joo only threw fastballs, saying, “(Catcher Lee Jae-won) seemed to signal that we should try to compete with fastballs. I trusted my senior, so I threw well without shaking my head. The manager was considerate, and since I had a long rest, I thought I needed to pitch well, so I approached the mound with a sense of responsibility and a earnest mindset. Thanks to that, my velocity came out better than usual, and I felt good.”

The next pitcher after Jung Woo-joo was Kim Seo-hyun, who took over as the closer this year in place of Joo Hyun-sang. Kim Seo-hyun threw a fastball peaking at 157 km/h, allowing one walk, but finished the game without any significant trouble.

Kim Seo-hyun, who joined the team as the first overall pick in the 2023 Rookie Draft, struggled in his debut season with 20 games (22⅓ innings), 1 save, and an earned run average of 7.25. However, he showed potential with 1 win, 2 losses, 10 holds, and an earned run average of 3.76 over 37 games (38⅓ innings) last season. This year, he is serving as the closer with 12 games (10⅔ innings), 1 hold, 5 saves, and an earned run average of 0.00, continuing his overwhelming pitching. He has not allowed any runs in 12 games and has not recorded a blown save.

In an interview on the 15th, Kim Seo-hyun noted, “Even if I give up a walk on the mound, I feel like throwing strikes better when I throw confidently. I feel a strong need to be more aggressive in my pitching.” He expressed gratitude to the manager and coaches for the opportunities they provided, stating, “Honestly, I was able to regain my confidence and throw well again thanks to the manager, who came to me first and extended a hand, and the pitching coach, who guides me in many aspects. I will do my best to continue showing good performances so as not to let down those expectations.”

Jung Woo-joo and Kim Seo-hyun are the next-generation ace candidates responsible for Hanwha's future. The fans' expectations are growing as they watch these promising players who throw impressive fastballs.

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