Cho Sang-woo breaks record for this year’s fastest pitch

Flame-throwing reliever Cho Sang-woo has broken his own record for the fastest pitch in the KBO this year.

Cho, the right-handed closer for the Kiwoom Heroes, threw a fastball that clocked in at 157.2 kilometers per hour (97.7 miles per hour) against Jamie Romak of the SK Wyverns last Thursday, according to Sports 2i, the official statistics provider for the KBO. Cho held the previous record with 156.9 kilometers per hour from an April 13 game against the Hanwha Eagles. Cho now owns the 10 fastest pitches thrown in the KBO in 2019, with three pitches tied for ninth place at 155.7 kilometers per hour.

As the weather gets warmer, so too is Cho throwing more heat. He averaged 152.8 kilometers per hour in March and 153.3 kilometers per hour in April. He’s made one outing so far in May, last Thursday, and averaged 154.9 kilometers an hour in that game. Cho has yet to allow a run in 15 and one-third innings this season, and he’s leading the KBO with 13 saves in 14 appearances. He has 19 strikeouts against three walks.

He has been a two-pitch hurler all season, having only offered four-seam fastballs (74.4 percent of the time) and sliders (25.6 percent) to hitters. Opponents are batting just .189 against the 24-year-old.

Yonhap