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Two-Seam Fastball Specialist Choi Min-seok Leads KBO in Wins
🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

Two-Seam Fastball Specialist Choi Min-seok Leads KBO in Wins

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Doosan Bears pitcher Choi Min-seok, in his second year, leads the league with 12 wins, boasting a 2.66 ERA.
  • Uniquely, Choi has not thrown a single four-seam fastball since his KBO debut in 2022, relying instead on his two-seam fastball.
  • He aims to improve his two-seam fastball speed to the mid-150 km/h range for international competition, while also developing his cutter and forkball.

Second-year Doosan Bears pitcher Choi Min-seok is making waves in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), currently leading the league with 12 wins and a 2.66 earned run average.

I thought the effectiveness of the four-seam fastball wasn't great. The pitch tracking data wasn't good either. When I had trouble controlling my four-seam in high school, I tried the two-seam, and it felt right in my hand. The two-seam has more movement and a bit more power, so I kept practicing it as my main pitch.

— Choi Min-seokExplaining his decision to forgo the four-seam fastball.

What sets Choi apart is his unconventional approach to pitching: he has not thrown a single four-seam fastball since his KBO debut in May 2022. Instead, the 20-year-old "young gun" relies heavily on his two-seam fastball, a pitch he found more effective and controllable since his high school days.

Choi's commitment to the two-seam fastball is unusual, as the four-seam is typically the fastest pitch and a staple in most pitchers' arsenals. He explained his preference stems from a childhood inclination towards less common methods and a belief in the two-seam's superior movement and power.

Since I was young, I've liked doing things others don't. Since other pitchers don't throw the two-seam much, I thought I'd try it more.

— Choi Min-seokDescribing his preference for unconventional pitches.

His two-seam fastball averages 144 km/h and has a pitch value of 24.6, indicating it has saved 24.6 runs compared to the league average. Choi is also developing a cutter, which moves in the opposite direction of his two-seam, and a forkball, inspired by advice from manager Kim Won-hyung. He credits the forkball's effectiveness to practicing low targets, similar to pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The speed is still lacking. If I build strength and improve my mechanics, I want to increase the average speed to the mid-150 km/h range and compete on bigger international stages.

— Choi Min-seokDiscussing his future speed goals.

Despite his success, Choi acknowledges he is only at 70% completion with his pitching repertoire. He aims to increase his two-seam fastball speed to the mid-150 km/h range to compete on the international stage. Choi is expected to be a key part of the national team's starting rotation at the upcoming 2026 Nagoya-Aichi Asian Games, potentially forming a "one-two punch" with teammate Kwak Bin.

The completion level is still about 70%. I feel like the completion level is increasing as I play through the season.

— Choi Min-seokAssessing his current pitching development.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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