Hanwha Eagles' Jung Woo-joo (19) couldn't hide his smile at the news of the collaboration uniform selling out.

Jung Woo-joo, who joined Hanwha after being selected in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2025 Rookie Draft, has recorded 1 win, 3 holds, and an earned run average of 4.11 over 16 games (15⅓ innings) this season. Jung, who was mentioned as a candidate for the overall first pick during the draft, entered the opening day roster with high expectations.

After struggling with an earned run average of 13.50 over 3 games (2 innings) in March, Jung began to showcase his potential by recording 8 consecutive scoreless innings from the game against Samsung on April 4 to the game against KT on April 25. He recorded 2 holds and an earned run average of 3.72 over 10 games (9⅔ innings) in April and currently has 1 win, 1 hold, and an earned run average of 0.00 over 3 games (3⅔ innings) in May.

Hanwha has recorded 27 wins and 13 losses this season, with a winning percentage of .675, leading the league. They are currently on a 12-game winning streak and are challenging the club's all-time record for most consecutive wins (14) set during the Binggrae era in 1992.

Jung Woo-joo, who is having the best season of his career from his first pro season, said in an interview on the 9th, “The atmosphere is unbelievably good. I feel proud that I have managed to contribute to the team by pitching in a few games during this atmosphere. I may not have a big role yet, but I want to become a player who can have a positive influence on the team.” He continued, “The closer pitchers get some rest, I get a chance to pitch, and it’s important for me to do that perfectly to benefit the team. I believe I have a lot of areas to improve, so I want to supplement those as the season goes on. I think I need to appear in more games.”

Jung, whose main weapon is his fastball exceeding 150 km/h, has a fastball usage rate close to 90% this year. There are even games where he only relies on the fastball. Jung said, “When it gets to 2 strikes, I know what to throw, and the batter knows what to expect, so everyone knows what is being thrown. I feel that too, but I still have to choose my best pitch, so I’m choosing the fastball. I’m also practicing my breaking ball a lot. Just the fact that I can win games with only the fastball gives me confidence and makes it fun,” he smiled.

Jung candidly expressed, “I sometimes wonder if it won’t connect since the fastball signs are often called.” He added, “At those times, I don’t doubt my fastball and give the sign for the fastball. The senior players are really helping me keep my confidence.”

Of course, facing first-team batters with only a fastball has its limits. Jung stated, “During catch play, I throw breaking balls every day. Although my fastball percentage is much higher in games, I try to increase the breaking ball usage even during catch play. I think my breaking ball is good, but I feel a little intimidated when I hear evaluations from those around me. I believe overcoming that is my biggest challenge.”

Hanwha is carefully managing Jung Woo-joo, who can be considered the future of the team. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon noted, “We try not to let him pitch on consecutive days as much as possible. We are paying attention to his pitch count. After he pitches, we aim to let him rest more while looking ahead.”

Jung said, “I have no physical burden at all thanks to the excellent management. They really take good care of me. Playing a few months now is much more valuable experience for me than the three years in high school. The content I have accumulated over this past month is extremely precious to me. I want to continue to gain experience and learn like this.”

Jung Woo-joo, who is growing towards becoming the next ace, has already captured the hearts of Hanwha fans. The collaboration uniform with the mascot 'Ggumdori' from Daejeon is already in short supply, and especially Jung’s jersey number has become the hardest to find, clearly showing the love and popularity he has among fans.

Jung remarked, “I heard that the Ggumdori uniform is hard to get. I honestly never thought my jersey would sell out. I think being a rookie and matching well with the image of the Ggumdori uniform contributed to the sales. At the beginning of the season, there honestly weren’t many fans wearing my jersey. But now hearing that it has sold out makes me grateful, and it still doesn’t feel real.”

Jung, whose parents run a restaurant in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, said, “Yesterday I went to my hometown, and more than half the customers were Hanwha fans. It’s clear that since I was drafted by Hanwha, the number of customers has increased. My parents are very happy.” He expressed his gratitude to the fans, saying, “I truly appreciate the love and support from so many fans.”

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