After Two Days' Rest, 24-Year-Old Left-Hander Throws 91 Pitches in 'Great Four Innings'... Kim Geon-woo's Pitching Shines Despite Disappointing Result [2026 APBC]

[Financial News] Although he took the loss after giving up five runs, the fighting spirit shown by the 24-year-old left-hander on the mound was enough to create a solemn atmosphere at TOKYO DOME.
Kim Geon-woo (SSG Landers), who did not shy away and took on Japan’s lineup head-on, went down fighting after a heroic effort that pushed him beyond his limits.
South Korea national team pitcher Kim Geon-woo started against Japan in the final of the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) at TOKYO DOME in Japan on the 15th. He threw 91 pitches over four innings, allowing six hits (including two home runs) and one walk, striking out five, and giving up five runs (four earned).
A simple stat line cannot fully explain his value. Just three days earlier, on the 12th, Kim Geon-woo had thrown 51 pitches over 22⁄3 innings against Australia. After only two days of rest, he shouldered the heavy responsibility of starting the Korea-Japan final, the most pressure-packed game of the tournament.
Despite being at a physical disadvantage, Kim Geon-woo’s stuff and nerve were remarkable. With his characteristically brisk pace, he challenged hitters aggressively and showed no inclination to back down. After retiring the first two batters in the first on balls in play, he gave up a solo home run to Nishikawa Misho, but did not waver, striking out the next batter, Yamaguchi Koki, and continuing to challenge Japan head-on.
In the second, after one out, he gave up a hit to Watarai Ryuki but breathed a sigh of relief when catcher Cho Hyeong-woo caught a runner stealing. After issuing a walk, he got Kojima Taiga to fly out and escaped the threat. In the third, a stolen base and a fielding error led to a one-run double by Muneyama Rui, but Kim limited further damage and held Japan to two runs. In the fourth, he produced the final’s first and only 1-2-3 inning, keeping the tightly contested game within two runs.


The problem came in the fifth. After four innings, Kim Geon-woo had thrown 79 pitches and had already reached his physical limit. It was somewhat harsh to ask a pitcher who had thrown 51 pitches three days earlier to throw 80 or more after just two days of rest.
Even so, the bench made no move, and Kim Geon-woo quietly took the mound again in the fifth. With his stuff clearly diminished, he gave up a leadoff hit to Kojima, then a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt left him in a precarious spot with no outs and runners on first and second. Exhausted, Kim eventually gave up a three-run homer to Masaki Tomoya and left the mound. It was the moment the score swung sharply to 0-5.
Only then did the South Korean bench bring in its second pitcher, Sung Yeong-tak. The ‘change in pitchers a beat too late’ that had helped set up South Korea’s loss after retaking the lead against Australia was repeated once again at a decisive moment in the final.
Although a painful three-run homer brought his outing to an end, Kim Geon-woo’s pitching—keeping the game even through four innings against Japan’s elite lineup despite the unfavorable circumstances—was nothing to criticize.
Kim Geon-woo poured his fighting spirit into 91 pitches in the heart of TOKYO DOME, pushing himself to the limit and fulfilling his duty to the best of his ability. Even in the disappointment of defeat, those four innings offered a valuable glimpse of a bright future for Korean baseball’s pitching staff.


[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter