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Twins reliever Woo Kang-hoon finds his bullpen groove in early season

Published: 03 Apr. 2026, 12:48

LG Twins reliever Woo Kang-hoon [LG TWINS]

LG Twins reliever Woo Kang-hoon worked hard during spring training to finally establish himself in the KBO six years after getting drafted out of high school. But the 23-year-old wasn't sure what kind of opportunity he would receive.

Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb has thrust Woo into a high-leverage role, ahead of his more accomplished teammates. And Woo has validated that faith so far.

Woo has struck out four batters in three perfect innings across three outings, while recording two holds. He had zero holds in his previous 28 outings before this year.

"I didn't think I'd be getting a chance to pitch in critical spots so early in the season," Woo said Thursday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, some 24 hours after picking up his first career hold by pitching a scoreless inning against the Kia Tigers. "I am grateful. I will try to stay locked in and keep working hard, so that I will continue to get into tough situations."

In Wednesday's game, Woo took the mound with the Twins up 4-1 in the eighth inning. He got a strikeout and two groundouts to set the stage for an eventual 7-2 win for his team.

"I wasn't really that nervous," Woo said. "I usually pitch the same way regardless of the score. So the situation didn't really make a difference for me."

Youm said during his pregame media availability Thursday that Woo was now firmly in his circle of trust, describing him as one of his three most trustworthy relievers at the moment. When informed of Youm's words, Woo smiled and said, "It hasn't hit me yet. I will try to embrace my role with pride and appreciate every outing."

LG Twins reliever Woo Kang-hoon [LG TWINS]

Woo pitched again Thursday, with the Twins nursing a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning and the most dangerous pocket of the Tigers' lineup coming up.

Woo got No. 2 hitter Harold Castro to ground out weakly to second on a first-pitch fastball. He then threw two straight curveballs on the 2004 MVP Kim Do-yeong, who hit a flyout to center.

To cap it off, Woo won an eight-pitch battle against veteran slugger Na Sung-bum, who badly whiffed on a curveball that darted sharply toward his back leg.

"I wanted to challenge him with a fastball, but I felt he was getting his timing down on that pitch," Woo said afterward. "I felt pretty good with my curveball today and threw it with confidence at the end."

Woo attributed his early success to his conscientious work to polish up his delivery so that he could maintain better balance on the mound. Woo also said he is able to command his pitches better thanks to a shorter, more compact arm swing.

With his sidearm delivery, Woo throws his four-seam fastball about 70 percent of the time. He is averaging 151 kilometers (93.8 miles) per hour with that pitch, which moves in on right-handed batters to tie them up and tails away from left-handed batters. Woo also features a wicked curveball with sharp movements and throws an occasional forkball that drops in front of the plate.

Sidearm pitchers typically have worse numbers against left-handed batters than right-handed batters, but that hasn't been the case for Woo.

"Even though I am a sidearm guy, I feel more confident facing left-handed hitters," he said. "Against right-handed batters, I used to miss on the inside often and ended up hitting them. It affected me mentally, but I no longer have such issues, and I try to attack those hitters with more confidence."

Fans cheer on the LG Twins and KT Wiz at a KBO League game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on March 29. [YONHAP]

Woo was drafted by the Lotte Giants in 2020, but he underwent an elbow operation soon afterward and then fulfilled his military service duty during his rehab. Woo didn't make his KBO debut until 2023.

Woo appeared in just three games in 2023 before getting traded to the Twins in exchange for infielder Son Ho-young in March 2024.

Son broke out that year, batting .317 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs while earning his first All-Star selection. Woo, however, was limited to only 14 appearances and spent more time in the minors than in the KBO.

"I was stunned with the trade, but I also recognized it would be a good opportunity for me," Woo said. "I didn't feel any pressure to match [Son Ho-young's] success right away. I knew I was much younger, and I still had room to grow. I was ready to take my time and do my thing."

Three games in a 144-game season represent an extremely small sample size, and Woo himself acknowledged he wants to do so much more than just pitching well in March and April.

"I've never had a full season at this level," he said. "I want to stay on the roster for the entire season and want to become a member of the championship team at the end."

Yonhap