The Doosan Bears are baring their arms. After years of foreign pitchers dominating the KBO’s ERA race, Doosan teammates Gwak Been and Choi Min-seok have turned it into a homegrown showdown as they each sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in the league.
Only two Korean pitchers have led the league in ERA over the past decade: Yang Hyeon-jong of the Kia Tigers in 2019 and An Woo-jin of the Kiwoom Heroes in 2022.
Foreign pitchers have tightened their grip on the rankings, especially over the past three years. An, who finished second in 2023, was the only Korean pitcher to crack the top five that year. Foreign pitchers then swept all five spots in each of the past two seasons.
Bears starting pitcher Gwak leads the KBO with a 2.33 ERA as of Aug. 26, while teammate Choi sits second at 2.66. Gwak and Choi are the only two pitchers in the league with ERAs below 3.00.
A battle between Korean pitchers for the ERA crown is rare enough. Having both pitchers on the same team makes it even more unusual.
Gwak and Choi made no secret of their pride.
“I’m proud because I think it shows just how competitive our team’s pitchers have become,” Gwak said.
“It motivates me because we’re showing that Korean pitchers can do this, too,” Choi said.
Doosan Bears starting pitcher Gwak Been pitches against the Hanwha Eagles during a KBO game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 11.NEWS1
Gwak, now in his ninth season, has taken his game to another level this year. Gwak also leads the league with 161 strikeouts, well ahead of Elvin Rodríguez of the Lotte Giants, who ranks second with 140.
Gwak has also shown remarkable consistency. Gwak posted a 1.93 ERA in June and a 1.80 ERA in July.
Gwak already established himself as one of the league’s top pitchers when he tied for the wins title with 15 victories in 2024. But Gwak has never been this dominant.
Korea’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) coaching staff saw signs of a breakout in March.
“Gwak looks like he’s going to do something special this year,” the coaches said. “There’s something different about his stuff.”
That prediction is now becoming reality.
Choi, meanwhile, has been nothing short of a revelation in his second season. Choi entered the year fighting for the fifth spot in the Bears’ starting rotation, but quickly developed into an ace-caliber pitcher once the season began.
Choi became the first Bears pitcher to reach 10 wins this season on Aug. 13. The milestone also made Choi the youngest pitcher in franchise history to record 10 wins in a season.
Doosan Bears pitcher Choi Min-seok pitches during a game against Hanwha Eagles in Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 13.NEWS1
“When I watch Min-seok, all I can think is, ‘This just doesn’t make sense,’” Gwak said. “How many pitchers can adjust [to the pros] this quickly in their second year and already pitch their own game? A player like this comes along only once every few years, if that.”
Choi’s breakout has also pushed Gwak to be better.
Gwak struggled at times early in the season, and Choi’s rapid rise gave the veteran extra motivation.
“When I saw a younger teammate working this hard and putting up such good results, I told myself, ‘I need to do better, too. I can’t leave all the burden on him,’” Gwak said.
The motivation runs both ways. Choi has looked to Gwak as a role model as he takes his own leap forward.
“Just watching Been beside me helps, and he is always giving me all kinds of advice,” Choi said. “I’m learning a lot, from how to work out to how to schedule my weight training.”
Gwak and Choi will compete together at the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September. The two share the same goal: return home with gold medals around their necks, then lead Doosan’s postseason run as the Bears’ one-two punch.
Doosan Bears pitcher Choi Min-seok, center, is doused with water by teammates after becoming the youngest pitcher in franchise history to reach 10 wins in a season, at 20 years, one month and 11 days old, following a game against the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul on Aug. 13.NEWS1
Doosan currently sits in fifth place, nine games ahead of the sixth-place Lotte Giants. The Bears are also only 1.5 games behind the third-place LG Twins.
“When you compete alongside players representing the country, there’s a lot you can watch and learn from, and it gives you confidence,” Gwak said. “It’s an opportunity to ‘step up’ another level as a player.”
“I hope Min-seok, [who’s joining the national team] for the first time, trusts himself and just keeps doing what he has been doing,” Gwak said.
“My role is to work hard behind Been and support him while hoping he pitches well,” Choi said with a broad smile. “I’ll just keep following the path Been is showing me.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
