*This content was translated by AI.
Hanwha Eagles’ Kim Seo-hyun (22) dispelled public concerns about his velocity drop by throwing a 155 km/h fastball. Even more heartening was seeing Kim Seo-hyun face batters with breaking pitches, overcoming his chronic control issues.
On the 23rd at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, Kim Seo-hyun appeared as a relief pitcher in the 7th inning during the home game against LG Twins in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, recording one scoreless inning with two hits allowed, no walks, and one strikeout. This marked his first scoreless pitching performance exactly four months after facing LG on April 23.
Hanwha lost 3-12. Starting pitcher Park Jun-young collapsed in the early innings, allowing three hits (two home runs), five walks/strikes, one strikeout, and eight earned runs over 1⅔ innings, tipping the balance heavily from the start. Instead, young pitchers took turns on the mound to showcase their potential, with Kim Seo-hyun, who recently returned from Japan, being one of them.
The most striking number displayed on the scoreboard was ‘155 km/h’. When Kim Seo-hyun returned to the first division for the first time in 105 days during the match against KIA Tigers on the 20th, his top velocity was 151 km/h. Given that he previously reached speeds of up to 161 km/h last year as a fireballer, concerns about velocity decline were understandable.
The pitcher himself, however, remained unfazed. In an interview with reporters three days prior, Kim Seo-hyun stated, “Of course, I want to increase my velocity. I’ve heard that if my control stabilizes and confidence grows, my speed can improve further. For now, I’m trying not to focus too much on velocity. Still, reaching around 151 km/h feels acceptable.”
But three days later, Kim Seo-hyun threw a fastball as if nothing had changed. His first pitch against Moon Bo-kyung clocked at 155 km/h, and he consistently maintained high velocity with pitches of 153 km/h, 152 km/h, and 153 km/h thereafter.
Even more meaningful than the velocity was his pitching content. On this day, Kim Seo-hyun threw only nine four-seam fastballs, which are his signature pitch, while using a curveball eleven times. He effectively deployed slow curveballs averaging 131 km/h and topping out at 135 km/h, targeting both the outside corner and inside part of the strike zone with precision.
Unlike in the past, there were few instances where breaking pitches lost too much speed and made it difficult to control the game. Against Park Hae-min and Austin Dean, he used curveballs to induce ground balls. Conversely, he was hit hard by outside fastballs from Song Chan-ui and Moon Bo-kyung, allowing consecutive hits. This wasn’t necessarily due to poor execution but rather LG batters strategically targeting his pitches.
The most impressive duel came against Moon Jeong-bin, currently the hottest hitter for LG. Moon had been in excellent form, hitting a three-run home run over the left-field fence in his previous at-bat. However, the Kim Seo-hyun-Heo In-seo battery chose not to engage in a power-versus-power battle with fastballs.
From the first pitch, he repeatedly dropped curveballs low and outside. Moon’s bat followed the trajectory of a slider drifting outward twice. The decisive pitch was also not a fastball; instead, Kim Seo-hyun threw a curveball inside to catch the batter off guard who was anticipating an outside breaking ball. This moment perfectly reflected Kim Seo-hyun’s recent emphasis on “engaging in battles with batters.”
This was precisely why he traveled to Japan last month. Along with Kwon Min-kyu (20), Kim Seo-hyun visited Next Base Athletics to undergo biomechanical measurements and pitch design evaluations. According to Kim, while Kwon focused primarily on increasing speed, he concentrated on how to utilize his body effectively and refined his pitch design in detail. After returning home, he continued working on simplifying and standardizing his pitching motion in the minor league.
Of course, a few weeks of training in Japan did not solve all problems. A KBO club development official who inspected the facility explained that rather than expecting immediate performance changes, it is more important to diagnose the player’s issues and sustain tailored training after returning home.
The direction Kim Seo-hyun is currently pursuing is not “faster” but “more precise.” Instead of forcing his way back to 161 km/h fastballs, he aims to throw breaking pitches to desired locations and engage in strategic battles with batters.
Kim Seo-hyun stated, “I won’t rush things; I’ll do what I’ve prepared. I hope to gradually improve and contribute as much as possible to the team.” Perhaps even more heartening than his 155 km/h fastball on this day was the final inside curveball he threw to Moon Jeong-bin.
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