It was the worst season since his debut in the pro league. Nevertheless, Ko Woo-suk (26) is wrapping up the season by finding a ray of hope.안전놀이터

Ko Woo-seok (26), a member of the Miami Heat's Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, pitched one inning, one hit, two strikeouts and no runs in the top of the ninth inning in a 2024 minor league Double-A home game against the Montgomery Biscuits (under Tampa Bay Rays) at Pensacola Blue Wahoos Stadium in Florida on the 14th (Korea time).

He was shaken by allowing three runs (one earned run) in one inning on the 9th, the previous appearance, but he gave up one hit and ended the game without a run.

Ko Woo-seok, who took the mound in the top of the ninth inning with his team leading 6-2, gave up a hit after a six-pitch match with the first batter Drew Baker.

However, he displayed a low level of play against Menson Auer and managed to secure a foul tip strikeout. He allowed Baker to advance to the second base due to wild pitching, but the game was all over the place by striking out Ricardo Genovis on a fly ball to the third base and Willy Vazquez on a swing and miss. Vazquez was struck out with a 96-mile (154.5-kilometer) high fastball.

With this result, Ko has posted a record of 2-1 with two saves and two holds, and earned run average (ERA) of 10.42 since joining Pensacola. The cumulative total of Double-A is two wins, three losses, three saves and three holds, ERA 8.04 and ERA 6.54.

He gained a reputation as a closing pitcher representing the league, including a relief king in the KBO League, and signed a two-plus-one-year contract with the San Diego Padres for up to $9.4 million (12.5 billion won) ahead of this season.

However, he suffered from being excluded from the opening roster due to poor exhibition games, and he got a chance to adapt in Double A rather than batter-friendly Triple A due to the club's consideration, but failed to rebound and eventually became a trade card in early May. San Diego, which wanted to recruit Luis Arraez, the "hit king for the second consecutive year," passed Ko Woo-seok as one of the four players in a 4-1 trade.

Since it was Miami, which had difficulty to expect baseball in fall this season, it seemed that Ko Woo-seok could be hired if he adjusted well in the minor leagues, but even this was not easy. The slump continued, and he was eventually excluded from the 40-man roster as he was processed as DFA (waiting for release) at the end of May.

After being demoted to Double-A, Ko Woo-seok, who continued his slump, set an opportunity to turn around. He recovered his speed, which had been the most decisive cause of his slump. He failed to spray balls over 150 kilometers per hour, let alone balls over 150 kilometers per hour, which he easily threw on the domestic stage, but he recently started to throw balls in the mid-150km range again.

Pensacola will wrap up the season with the last game on the 16th. It is also unclear whether Ko Woo-seok will get more opportunities.

It is not easy to expect that he will be called up by the big league in next season. However, as he regained his speed at the end of the season, he seems to be able to reach his dream once again if he makes sufficient preparations ahead of next season.

Moreover, he has nothing urgent to do with him. Ko, who received 1.75 million U.S. dollars in annual salary this year, will receive 2.25 million dollars, an increase of 500,000 dollars next year. Even if he returns to Korea, he will not be able to earn the salary for a single season. As it is a season that he will leave much to be desired, he will have no loss at all even if he chooses to try again next season. Expectations are rising as he has found a clue to resolving the arrest issue, which was the biggest cause of this season's sluggishness.