Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 237

The Player to Watch (3)

Carefully adjusting his grip, Choi Woo-jin took a deep breath and hurled the ball with all his might.

The ball, leaving Choi Woo-jin’s hand, appeared to be a standard fastball.

The opposing batter, assuming it was a fastball, swung his bat with everything he had.

But suddenly, the ball gained reverse spin, its speed dropping rapidly.

Tick!

The batter’s bat grazed the top of the ball.

The ball bounced weakly towards Choi Woo-jin.

As if anticipating this, Choi Woo-jin caught the ball, pivoted, and fired it towards the second baseman.

“A ground ball!” the announcer exclaimed. “Choi Woo-jin fields it cleanly! Can he complete the double play?”

The ball thrown by Choi Woo-jin landed squarely in the second baseman’s glove.

“Out!”

An out was easily recorded at second base, and then,

“Out!”

at first base, the ball arrived just before the runner, resulting in another out.

Successfully executing a double play, Choi Woo-jin clenched his fist and pumped it in the air.

“Wow!”

“Nice play!”

Cheers erupted from the Suchun High dugout.

Returning to the dugout, Choi Woo-jin bumped gloves with the fielders who had completed the double play, sharing the excitement.

“They turned a crucial double play, escaping the inning without allowing any runs!”

“Their game management is solid. Inducing a double play in that situation was key.”

“But what kind of pitch was that from Choi Woo-jin? It didn’t look like a fastball. We need to analyze his grip and delivery.”

“It looked like a changeup. Judging by the trajectory and movement, it definitely wasn’t a fastball.”

“Has Choi Woo-jin been throwing a changeup all along?”

“I don’t recall him throwing it even once last year. It seems he developed a new pitch over the winter.”

“If Choi Woo-jin can consistently throw a changeup, it would be a significant asset, wouldn’t it?”

“Absolutely. Until now, he’s relied on breaking balls with sharp angles, like sliders and curves. A reliable changeup to disrupt the batter’s timing would be a tremendous weapon.”

“Choi Woo-jin seems to be evolving with each game.”

After that, Choi Woo-jin continued pitching effectively, supported by Suchun High’s solid defense in the 3rd and 4th innings.

Even as his pitch count approached 50, his fastball velocity remained around 140 km/h [approximately 87 mph].

He also gradually increased his use of the changeup, a pitch he was showcasing for the first time in this game.

Because his throwing motion was nearly identical to his fastball, with minimal discernible difference, and the speed differential was over 10 km/h [approximately 6 mph], it became increasingly difficult for batters to anticipate the pitch.

Whoosh-

Whoosh-

It proved to be competitive enough to be used as a finishing pitch in two-strike counts.

Except for the 2nd inning, the opposing team failed to generate any scoring opportunities through the end of the 4th inning.

Whoosh-

“Strike out!”

“Another strikeout! He’s recorded 6 strikeouts while securing 12 outs through the 4th inning!”

“The effectiveness of his changeup today is remarkable. With the same posture and arm swing as his fastball, it’s virtually impossible for the batter to differentiate between the two.”

“Could we say Choi Woo-jin has a knack for learning new pitches?”

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration. The changeup is notoriously difficult to master. He must have a natural feel for it, and he’s clearly put in a lot of practice.”

The tense 0-0 deadlock that persisted through the top of the 4th inning finally broke in the bottom of the 4th.

Suchun High’s batters, sensing the opposing pitcher’s fatigue, began to swing aggressively, capitalizing on their opportunities.

Clang!

Clang!

Consecutive doubles drove in the first run of the game.

They then added to their lead by employing aggressive baserunning and exploiting the opponent’s errors.

In the top of the 5th inning, Choi Woo-jin, now pitching with a 3-run cushion, felt even more confident on the mound.

Although he showed signs of tiring and allowed a few hits, he prevented any runs from scoring in both the 5th and 6th innings.

Meanwhile, Suchun High’s batters continued to support him, extending the lead to a comfortable 0-5.

Before they knew it, the game had reached the 7th inning.

Choi Woo-jin remained on the mound for Suchun High.

“Choi Woo-jin is still pitching in the 7th inning!”

“He’s thrown 80 pitches through 6 innings. His efficient pitching suggests he’s capable of handling the 7th as well.”

“His ability to pitch deep into games is improving steadily. He’s now challenging not only quality starts [at least six innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs] but also quality start pluses [seven or more innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs].”

Choi Woo-jin delivered his first pitch of the inning.

The batter’s bat snapped around as he connected with the fastball.

Clang!

The batted ball soared towards the outfield.

The center fielder, gauging the trajectory, sprinted backward.

The center fielder pursued the rapidly descending ball.

At the last moment, he extended his glove and leaped with all his might.

The ball barely nestled into the center fielder’s glove.

“Out!”

The second base umpire raised his fist, confirming the catch.

“Nice catch!”

Cheers erupted from the Suchun High dugout in response to the excellent defensive play.

Choi Woo-jin, watching from the mound, sighed in relief and tipped his hat in gratitude.

Luck continued to favor them in the next at-bat, resulting in another out.

The shortstop made a great play to secure the out.

Two outs.

Just one more out would secure a quality start plus for the first time.

Thud!

137 km/h [approximately 85 mph].

However, with his pitch count nearing 90, the fastball’s velocity had noticeably decreased compared to the beginning of the game.

Clang!

The batted ball shot straight towards the outfield.

It landed and rolled between the center fielder and the right fielder.

“Run! Run! Run!”

The opposing team’s players in the dugout yelled, pointing towards second base.

The batter touched first base and continued towards second without hesitation.

The Suchun High right fielder, after fielding the hit, threw towards second base, but

“Safe!”

The batter had already reached second base.

“Nice! Let’s go!”

Cheers erupted from the opposing team’s dugout as a runner reached scoring position for the first time in a while.

Two outs, runner on second.

He tried to challenge the next batter as usual, but

Thud!

“Ball!”

Thud!

“Ball!”

Perhaps aiming for pinpoint accuracy, Choi Woo-jin’s pitches were just outside the strike zone.

Thud!

“Walk!”

Eventually, his control wavered, and he issued a walk.

Two outs, runners on first and second.

Sweat beaded on Choi Woo-jin’s forehead for the first time.

Choi Woo-jin, struggling to compose himself, took a deep breath and threw the ball with all his remaining strength.

He threw a fastball, but

unlike his intention, it drifted towards the center of the strike zone.

It was a clear mistake.

Moreover, his energy was waning as his pitch count increased.

He needed the batter to miss,

unfortunately, the batter connected solidly.

Crack!

A resounding crack echoed through the stadium.

Anticipating a home run, the batter tossed his bat aside and watched the ball soar.

“Oh, it’s going deep! It’s headed straight out! It’s over! A three-run home run!”

The opposing batter clenched his fist and began his trot around the bases.

“Wow!”

The players in the opposing dugout erupted in celebration.

The scoreboard changed to 3-5 as the batter touched home plate.

Choi Woo-jin, unable to do anything but watch, couldn’t conceal his disappointment.

“He pitched well for most of the game but couldn’t overcome the final hurdle.”

“The fastball was right down the middle. Choi Woo-jin’s fastball lacks overwhelming power or speed. A mistake like that is bound to result in an extra-base hit.”

Eventually, the Suchun High pitching coach consulted with the manager and walked to the mound.

Choi Woo-jin, sensing an imminent substitution, regretfully fiddled with the ball in his glove.

The pitching coach reached the mound, spoke to Choi Woo-jin, and patted him on the shoulder.

Finally, Choi Woo-jin tossed the ball to the first baseman and walked off the mound.

“Good job, Choi Woo-jin!”

“Suchun High, fighting!”

Supportive voices echoed from the Suchun High dugout and the stands.

“Choi Woo-jin is leaving the game after recording two outs in the 7th inning. This is the most innings he’s pitched in a single game.”

“He’s developing into a true innings-eater. His game management on the mound is noticeably improving.”

“What do you attribute to Choi Woo-jin’s efficient pitching and strong performance over a long outing today?”

“We can’t overlook the changeup he unveiled for the first time. The opposing batters were clearly caught off guard, and his delivery was excellent.”

“Will Choi Woo-jin’s changeup be effective at the professional level?”

“It’s hard to say definitively after just one game, but there’s certainly potential for growth if he continues to refine and develop it throughout the year.”

6.2 innings, 3 runs allowed.

Although he didn’t complete the 7th inning, Choi Woo-jin’s performance met the criteria for a winning pitcher.

Even based on simple statistics, it was a great performance, and by pitching nearly 7 innings, he demonstrated significant progress as a starting pitcher.

Now, all that remains is to see how the professional scouts evaluate his performance.

└His control is excellent, and his game management is top-notch, but his velocity is disappointing. If he could consistently hit 150 km/h [approximately 93 mph], he’d be a guaranteed first-round pick.

└He also gives up too many home runs. When he allows runs, it’s almost always a home run or a double.

└I guess it’s because his power fades late in games. Any mistake pitch is likely to be hit for extra bases.

└But if he develops his changeup, won’t that change things? The opposing batters were swinging and missing consistently.

└It looks almost identical to his fastball, and the speed difference is significant.

└It’s still early to evaluate. There’s been no detailed analysis. We need to see how it performs when opposing teams have scouting reports.

└Which team will draft him?ㅋㅋㅋ He’s not quite a first-round talent, but he has too much potential to pass up. The scouts must be tearing their hair out.

In the remainder of the game, Suchun High maintained their lead and secured the victory.

Choi Woo-jin concluded his first game with a satisfying win.