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Moon Dong-ju hits 99.2 mph in first appearance of KBO preseason

Published: 12 Mar. 2025, 11:11

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Moon Dong-ju pitches during a preseason game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon on March 11. [HANWHA EAGLES]

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Moon Dong-ju touched 159.7 kilometers per hour (99.2 miles per hour) in his first appearance of the KBO preseason.

The Eagles right-hander made his spring debut against the SSG Landers in Incheon on Monday. He took the mound in the sixth inning with Hanwha leading 8-0 and pitched a scoreless frame, allowing no hits and one walk while striking out two.

He threw 19 pitches — eight fastballs, four sliders, three curveballs, three forkballs and one two-seam fastball.

His velocity stood out. With two outs, Moon fired a 159-kilometer-per-hour fastball past Ko Myung-joon on his third pitch of the at-bat. He followed with a forkball before returning to the fastball, which registered 158 kilometers per hour.

Analyst Lee Taek-geun described the sound of the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt as “like it was ripping apart.”

Moon is familiar with breaking speed records. On April 12, 2023, against the Kia Tigers in Gwangju, he became the first Korean pitcher in KBO history to break the 160-kilometer-per-hour barrier since pitch-tracking systems were introduced in 2011. He hit 160.1 kilometers per hour against Park Chan-ho.

That day, TrackMan recorded his pitch at 161 kilometers per hour, while the stadium scoreboard showed 159 kilometers per hour.

For the 2024 season, the KBO has switched from PTS to TrackMan to unify stadium and broadcast radar readings. TrackMan generally registers slightly higher velocities than PTS.

On Monday, Moon’s fastball topped out at 160 kilometers per hour and bottomed out at 157 kilometers per hour. A Hanwha team official clarified that his exact maximum velocity was 159.7 kilometers per hour, which was rounded up to 160.

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Moon Dong-ju pitches during a preseason game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon on March 11. [HANWHA EAGLES]

While Moon is back in action, he is taking a measured approach after an early end to last season due to shoulder pain. He spent the offseason focused on recovery and gradually ramped up his workload during spring camp.

Rumors circulated that he could pitch out of the bullpen this year. Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon dismissed the speculation.

“Moon is a starting pitcher,” Kim said. “He may throw shorter outings while building up his pitch count, but his ultimate role is in the rotation. We should see him in the first team by April.”

Even in limited action, Moon showed his signature fastball, signaling he is ready to return. With warmer weather ahead, he may soon surpass the 160-kilometer-per-hour mark.

“It’s been a long time since I pitched in a real game, so I’m more satisfied that I threw well and stayed healthy rather than focusing on velocity,” Moon said. “Once I get my game rhythm back, I’ll be ready. I can’t wait to return to the rotation and repay our fans’ support.”

Third-year right-hander Kim Seo-hyun also impressed out of the bullpen. He touched 156 kilometers per hour in a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Noh Si-hwan powered Hanwha’s offense, going 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in the fourth and driving in four runs overall.

The Eagles won 8-0.

BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [[email protected]]