"Will Kwak Bin (24, Doosan Bears) start against Taiwan?"

This is the most frequently asked question by local Taiwanese reporters before the opening of the 2024 WBSC Premier 12.먹튀검증

Looking at his performance in the KBO League this season, it was reasonable.

Kwak won 15 games (nine losses) in 30 KBO league games this year, tying him for the most wins along with Won Tae-in (Samsung Lions). As he is considered the most winning pitcher in the KBO league, he naturally becomes wary of the pitcher.

The strong impression left at last year's APBC (Asian Professional Baseball Championship) is also indispensable.

Kwak Bin started the final against Japan and pitched a consistent pitch of one run in five innings. Although Ryu Joong-il lost and couldn't laugh after an extra game, Kwak Bin's powerful pitching against the Japanese lineup also left a deep impression on Taiwan.

Kwak, who started the first game of the K-baseball series against Cuba, displayed impressive performance by allowing one hit, one walk, two strikeouts and no run in two innings. It was widely expected that Ryu would be a valuable starting resource for Ryu Joong-il, who has been suffering from an injury to his starting lineup at this year's event.

For Ryu Joong-il, who lost to Taiwan in the second Group B match, Cuba had to win not only to rebound but also to manage the remaining group matches. However, the card that Cuba brought up was Livan Moinello, who had the highest ERA (1.88), in the Japanese Pacific League. The key was how long Kwak could hold out.

Kwak Bin proved his qualification as the national flag by playing hardball to save Ryu Joong-il.

Kwak, who started with two strikeouts in the top of the first inning, increased his outcount by hitting a ground ball to shortstop and striking out in the top of the second inning as well. There was also a lucky chance that Kim Do-young cleared a hit by Drake toward the third base with a good defense. Kwak's shoulders became lighter as the Korean batter produced six runs and a big inning in the bottom of the second inning.

Kwak, who gave up his first hit to Guibert in the top of the third inning, struck out Perez and Walters, respectively, but gave up a hit to right field to Santos, who was on the verge of losing a point. However, Kwak successfully walked down the mound without losing a point by catching Major League player Moncada with a fly ball to center field.

Kwak is in danger with a walk and a hit after one out in the top of the fourth inning. However, he induced Drake to ground out to the third base, and Kim Do-young ended the inning with a double play that led to the first base after touching the third base. Kwak, who showed fatigue after five consecutive walks in the fifth inning, ended his duties by handing over the mound to So Hyung-joon. He pitched 74 pitches in total, with three hits, three walks and five strikeouts in four innings.

Ryu Joong-il`s team announced a replacement for the next generation. Through this competition, it was an important task to determine who will be responsible for the future of the national team. This was why it was important to confirm the performance of the starting pitcher. Kwak Bin, who pitched well again in the Premier 12 following last year's APBC, seems to have gained a strong impression early on.

"There have been a number of pressure situations this year. I think I have to overcome this pressure to become a bigger player, so I thought, 'Let's accept and enjoy it, let's do everything I want to do,'" Kwak said. "I threw with all my energy from the first inning. As I felt that my ball control was good and the batters were not good at it, I think I threw with excitement in the first inning," Kwak said. "Actually, I felt like I used up all my energy in the first and second innings. As I pitched a lot of innings for the first time this year, I lost my stamina quickly. Still, I'm glad that I stopped him until the fourth inning."