NC Dinos pitcher Mok Ji-hoon captured NC manager Kang In-kwon’s heart in his KBO league debut.
Mok Ji-hoon started on the last day of the weekend’s three consecutive games against KT Wiz of the “2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League” held at Changwon NC Park on the 4th. The mound on this day could have been burdensome, but Mok Ji-hoon, who threw his ball bravely, showed his possibility by allowing four hits (one homer) and one strikeout, five walks, and four runs in three ⅔ innings of his final performance. The team won the game 15-5.먹튀검증
It was regrettable that he did not finish the fifth inning as a starting pitcher, but the pitch itself was enough to raise expectations. The maximum speed of the four-seam fastball (27 pitches) was 149 kilometers per hour, and the proper combination of the two-seam fastball (30 pitches), slider (23 pitches), change-up (5 pitches), and curveball (2 pitches) was impressive. He faced a crisis due to his unstable control and lost some points, but he could have considered it considering it was his first appearance since his debut.
Coach Kang praised Mok Ji-hoon ahead of the Sajik Lotte Giants match on the 6th. “He is a rookie player, but he looked stable on the mound. I also liked that he fully displayed what he had. I am thinking of giving him another chance to start next time,” he said, applauding the rookie’s bold pitching.
After going through Hyoje Elementary School, Cheongnyang Middle School, and Shinil High School, Mok Ji-hoon started his professional career by wearing the NC uniform as the 34th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 KBO League Rookie Draft. His relationship with manager Kim Sung-geun became a hot topic of conversation when he was nominated, drawing a lot of attention. Mok Ji-hoon caught the baseball because he filmed a hot chocolate commercial for a food company with manager Kim when he was in elementary school.
In his second year as a professional rookie, he got better step by step by step after taking the starting course at the Futures League. He started all 14 Futures League games this year and posted an earned run average of 1.65 in one win, four losses and 57 ⅔ innings, and also participated in the Futures League All Star game last month. NC is one of the promising pitchers with high expectations.
Coach Kang expressed expectations, saying, “I exceeded my expectations, including my arrest. However, my ball control was a little shaky as I tried not to fit too well. Since I am not a player who can’t control my ball originally, I think I will have a much better performance in the next game.”
Mok Ji-hoon is likely to play in the first team for the second time this season and his second career game against the LG Twins in Jamsil on the 10th. NC’s starting lineup has been shaking recently. Shin Min-hyuk returned from an elbow injury, but Kyle Hart will be away for the time being due to body aches. If Mok Ji-hoon does his part in this situation, it can be a great help to the mound.
Meanwhile, after his debut on the 4th, Mok Ji-hoon said through the club, “There were a lot of regrets in the overall game today (4th). While running the game, my control did not go as I thought. I had my own way, including the opponent of the batter, while running the starting rotation in Futures, but this part of today’s game didn’t work at all. I got a good part of my experience as my first starter. I was disappointed with the result, but if I get the next chance, I want to show better performance than today.”
Much attention is already being paid to how Mok Ji-hoon, who was promised a chance to start, will produce a result in his second appearance.