🔊 TTS Settings
Traded Pitcher’s Talent Explodes — Chapter 005
Mop-Up Pitcher (3)
– Swing and a miss! Strikeout! Han Minwoo strikes out Kim Taeyoon, making it three consecutive strikeouts!
– Wow, that was a dangerous situation, but he got out of it beautifully.
– Starting pitcher Jason Cross suddenly left the game due to injury, so things were chaotic for the Wolves. But Minwoo climbed the mound as a reliever and saved the day!
– This is unpleasant for the Gocheok Crocodiles. They’d raised their momentum early by scoring five runs, but now it feels like someone poured cold water all over them.
The top of the 3rd inning ended far quicker than anyone expected.
Pigijeong, who was catching as Seoul Wolves’ starting catcher, watched Minwoo walk off the mound and couldn’t help but admire him.
‘Not bad at all.’
He’d been worried at first.
Before Minwoo entered, the bullpen coach had repeatedly warned him:
‘His velocity is slow, and he doesn’t really have a decent breaking ball. And his mentality? Weak. So you better drag him along by the collar.’
A pitcher with many weaknesses — that was Pigijeong’s impression of Han Minwoo.
And when Minwoo gave up back-to-back hits to the 5th and 6th batters, he truly thought Minwoo would crumble.
There’s a world of difference in pressure between having no runners on base and facing 1st and 2nd with no outs.
But defying all concerns, Minwoo struck out the 7th, 8th, and 9th batters in a row, finishing the inning in a flash.
‘This guy… is he really mentally weak?’
The highlight of the inning was his battle with the 9th batter, Kim Taeyoon.
The 7th and 8th hitters might’ve underestimated Minwoo, but Kim Taeyoon had clearly watched both strikeouts.
He was already full of caution.
Minwoo lured him with four-seamers, slipped a slider outside the zone to mess with his eyes, and then finished him off with a curveball as the deciding pitch.
‘Looks like I misjudged him.’
When Minwoo had shaken off his signs earlier, Pigijeong wanted to smack him in the back of the head.
But in the end, Minwoo’s choice had been correct — and he proved it with three consecutive strikeouts.
Professionals speak with results.
Pigijeong removed his catcher’s mask and approached Minwoo as he came down from the mound.
He held out his fist.
“Minwoo.”
“You worked hard, sir.”
Because the pitcher and catcher must read signs and take down hitters together, their connection is crucial. There’s a reason the battery is considered a single unit.
As the Wolves’ catcher — the guardian of home plate — Pigijeong always made sure to talk with every pitcher on the roster, building rapport.
He checked each pitcher’s tendencies and knew all their preferred locations.
And now, for the first time, he spoke to Han Minwoo.
“Looks good on you.”
“Huh?”
“Walking off the mound after shutting down an inning.”
“Oh…”
Minwoo gently bumped his fist against Pigijeong’s.
Pigijeong crinkled a smile.
“Nice work.”
Baseball is a sport where mentality matters.
Team morale heavily affects the outcome.
There are times when a team trailing by 11 runs suddenly collects 12 consecutive hits and turns the game around.
Until the top of the 3rd, the Seoul Wolves were getting crushed by the Gocheok Crocodiles.
“Hey, could we actually come back from this?”
“Please… just win once! End this 5-game losing streak!”
So seeing a pitcher strike out three straight hitters brought silent hope to the fans.
Crack!
– Oh, the ball goes high.
– Kwon Jihoon moves in to make the catch.
– Park Jinwoo completely shuts down the Wolves’ lineup again. The momentum Minwoo brought in the top of the 3rd now shifts back to the Crocodiles!
“Ugh, knew it.”
Despite fans’ hopes, the Wolves’ batters were helpless and went down in order in the bottom of the 3rd.
And now the 4th inning begins.
‘Finally, I get to face him.’
Minwoo hid his mouth behind his glove and let out a sigh as the next batter stepped up.
‘Of all hitters… he’s the one I least wanted to meet.’
Park Seojoon.
A hitter famous for not letting go once he sinks his teeth into a starting pitcher.
His life story was like a drama.
In 2022, he joined Seoul Wolves as a trainee player.
He was converted to a full-time player in June that year, but after recording only 1 game, 1 plate appearance, and 1 strikeout, he was released.
He finished his military service in the Army’s 31st Division, then joined the Gocheok Crocodiles as a trainee after passing their tryout.
In 2026, he became another trainee-to-success legend, winning both Rookie of the Year and the KBO Golden Glove.
But his true turning point was the 2028 season.
204 hits, .378 batting average, .444 OBP, .552 SLG, .996 OPS.
He became only the second player in KBO history to record 200 hits in a single season and even won MVP.
Even in a hitter-friendly year, having a leadoff hitter perform like this was dominant beyond belief.
– Top of the 4th. Park Seojoon steps up as the leadoff hitter.
– Ah, Minwoo pitched amazingly in the 3rd, but now he hits a massive wall right at the start.
– Honestly, no pitcher feels comfortable facing Park Seojoon. He’s the undisputed best leadoff hitter in Korea.
‘What a wonderful situation.’
On one side:
– The best MVP hitter in the league — the king of hits, runs, and triples.
On the other:
– A pitcher with the league’s lowest velocity, the highest career ERA, a mop-up pitcher who only appears after the game already collapsed.
Obviously, no one expected Minwoo to win this matchup — not the commentators, not the fans, not even his own teammates or coach.
‘No matter what I do, I’m getting hit anyway.’
Minwoo let out a small laugh before he realized it.
Was it the influence of “Stone-Hearted Mind”?
He felt no fear, no anxiety.
– Oh… Minwoo is smiling.
– Doesn’t look like he’s trying to provoke Park Seojoon. Maybe he just remembered something funny? Either way, it’s impressive to smile in this situation.
└ What the hell? Did I see that right? He’s SMILING at Park Seojoon?
└ LOL a guy with a 12.96 ERA smiling while down 7–0? Lunatic.
└ Hey isn’t he that pitcher from the Busan Dolphins? We used to THANK GOD when he came out against us LOL.
└ Can’t wait for him to get smashed this inning.
└ No skill, no manners. Leave him in the minors till he fixes his attitude.
└ Actually today is his first 1st-team appearance in 812 days lol
But Minwoo didn’t smile for anything special.
Worst case: he gives up a hit — Park Seojoon is just that good.
Even if he gives up a run or two, he’s a mop-up pitcher. His image won’t get worse.
In other words, there is zero risk for Minwoo.
For a gambler, no-risk situations are the sweetest battles.
Past Minwoo would’ve trembled just knowing the batter was Park Seojoon.
But with his A-rank special ability active, he focused entirely on reading the situation.
Pigijeong gave the sign.
‘Slider?’
Pigijeong wanted to start with a waste pitch.
Minwoo shook his head.
Better to challenge him directly when there’s nothing to lose.
‘Then how about a low fastball?’
Shake.
‘Curve? Since he’ll expect a fastball.’
Shake.
‘Changeup?’
‘Okay.’
They finally synced.
Minwoo nodded and wound up.
“Hup.”
He fired toward the catcher’s mitt.
The pitch: center-cut strike.
For Seojoon, this was a pitch you had to swing at — perfect speed and location for the first pitch.
Thwack!
“Swing and a miss.”
Park Seojoon adjusted his helmet, glaring at Minwoo as if saying:
‘You dare challenge me head-on?’
Minwoo held his stare calmly and threw the second pitch.
A four-seam fastball.
Outside, low — the hottest of Seojoon’s hot zones, where he hit .580.
But Seojoon missed the fact that this pitch was just outside the zone.
Crack!
“Foul!”
The count quickly became 0–2.
The league’s best hitter — one of the greatest leadoff hitters in KBO history — was losing to a pitcher who topped out at 137 km/h.
The crowd murmured.
“What’s going on? No way it’ll be a strikeout, right? It’s Park Seojoon!”
“How is he missing these pitches?”
“Seojoon-ah! You need 200 hits again this year! Don’t get caught by some nobody!”
Seojoon himself felt the frustration.
‘The scouting report is wrong.’
Minwoo was trickier than he looked.
His deception was excellent — the low arm slot, the wrap-around release that made the ball appear out of nowhere.
And his location was superb.
The first-pitch changeup stunned him.
The second pitch barely missed the hot zone, preventing good contact.
Location combined with pitch design — it was textbook.
And to sketch that design, Minwoo’s command had to be exceptional.
After only two pitches, Seojoon could sense it:
If he wasn’t careful, he might become the fourth consecutive strikeout.
Crack!
“Foul!”
Seojoon began fouling everything off.
So Minwoo played his trump card.
Two four-seamers to set it up… and then a curve for the kill.
Perfect count.
Perfect sequence.
But an MVP is still an MVP.
Crack!
“Nice hit!”
“That’s it! Crush this pitcher too!”
On the 8th pitch, Seojoon shot a clean hit and reached first base.
He exhaled a long sigh of relief.
‘This feeling… it’s been a while.’
He’d faced many pitchers — some who threw 160 km/h, others with unhittable breaking balls.
But to struggle against a guy throwing only 137 km/h?
‘He’s uncomfortable to face.’
His pitch design and location were outstanding.
And what was truly scary?
He threw such weak velocity… yet never wavered.
He had a terrifyingly stable mentality.
‘I have a feeling I’ll be seeing him often.’
Seojoon eyed Minwoo’s back while extending his lead toward second.
Meanwhile, Minwoo watched Seojoon take that lead.
‘This is the best hitter in the league.’
He’d done everything he could.
And got hit anyway.
‘I still lack the weapons needed to beat hitters like him.’
But his thoughts ended there.
Minwoo glanced at Seojoon stretching his lead toward second.
‘Next time… I’ll beat you.’
His eyes gleamed with resolve, not frustration.
‘You got me today, but next time will be different.’
Crack!
“Out!”
The next batter hit a fly ball to right field off Minwoo’s slider.
[You have recorded one out. 50 points earned.]
[Current points: 840 P]
If he adds one more special ability, the result will change next time.
