Doosan’s homegrown ace Kwak-Bin is back to his old self after an impressive 10-win debut. Manager Lee Seung-yeop pointed out the athlete’s mental state and gave him the advice to “eat strong.”

Kwak Bin became the first pitcher to reach 10 wins since his professional debut in 2018 with an eight-inning, 102-pitch shutout against SSG in Jamsil on April 25. He broke his personal record for most innings pitched in a single game with 7⅓ innings against LG Electronics on April 15, and after reaching the nine-win plateau against Hanwha in Daejeon on August 1, he finally reached the 10-win mark after three games. The 10th win was even more meaningful as it came against SSG ace Kim Kwang-hyun, who once represented Korea.먹튀검증

Kwak-Bin kept his 10-win momentum intact with a six-inning no-hitter against LG on Aug. 31, but a bullpen mishap in the eighth tied the game at 2-2 and derailed his 11th win. Doosan lost the game 2-3 in 10 extra innings.

The aftermath of the LG Electronics victory was tough. Kwak Bin took the loss on Sept. 6 against KIA in Jamsil, giving up six runs on two hits and two walks in 3⅓ innings, and then was pulled early on Sept. 12 against Hanwha in Jamsil after giving up three runs in four innings. He was unable to continue pitching after reaching a pitch count of 98 by the fourth inning due to jagged pitches.

Since his 10th win, Kwak-Bin is 1-0 with a 6.08 ERA in three games, and his ERA jumps to a whopping 11.05 in September.

When asked about his struggles after reaching the coveted 10-win mark, manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “I threw 98 pitches until the fourth inning against Hanwha. I must have been out of shape. On a good day, he throws less than 100 pitches in seven innings, but he has a lot of ups and downs depending on the day’s condition.” “I’ve been pitching like a bat out of hell. After 10 wins, I’m pitching for a higher goal, but it takes time to get better if you don’t reduce the ups and downs,” he wrote.

The slump comes at a crucial time for Kwak, whose team Doosan is in a tight race for fifth place with Kia and SSG, with only one team out of the top five without a win, and who is set to be called up to the national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games on March 23. Kwak Bin is a key resource for both Doosan and the national team, who need him to be an integral part of the starting lineup.

“As a pitcher, he has a sensitive personality and will have a lot of desire to throw well,” Lee said. However, you need to be a little more relaxed to pitch well. Kwak Bin is the best pitcher in Korea if he improves his strike rate.” “Before the Asian Games, there are important games before, during, and after the Asian Games. I want you to have a strong mind and approach your next appearance with pride as the Korean ace and Doosan’s one-two-three punch,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kwak-Bin will join the Asian Games team after his start against Gwangju KIA on the 18th. He was originally scheduled to pitch against Gwangju KIA on the 17th and Daegu Samsung Electronics on the 22nd before joining the team for their first training session at the Gocheok Dome on the 23rd, but the plan changed when the Gwangju KIA game was canceled due to rain on the 16th. There is one Doosan player on the Asian Games team, Kwak Bin.