William Cuevas, who returned to KT Wiz as a substitute, became the winning pitcher in his last appearance in the regular season and confirmed this year’s winning percentage leader. Cuevas is the first starting pitcher to win the winning percentage title with an undefeated record.메이저사이트
KT won 9-2 in the home game against Hanwha in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 8th. KT, which had won 17-0 the previous day, achieved its 600th win with 2 consecutive wins, bringing its season record to 78 wins, 3 draws, and 62 losses. With the victory on this day, KT reduced the magic number confirmed for second place to ‘1’.
Starting pitcher Cuevas earned his 12th win of the season with a pitching pitch in 7 innings, allowing 2 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, and no runs. Cuevas, who played in 18 games this season, recorded 12 wins without a single loss, achieving a ‘100% win rate’ and confirming the win rate king. The records for the highest winning percentage (100%) in the previous season were Oh Bong-ok (Samsung) in 1992 and Kim Hyun-wook (Samsung) in 2002, and Cuevas was the first to achieve a 100% winning percentage by starting all games.
After the game, Cuevas gave credit to his teammates, saying, “I finished the last pitching of the regular season, and I am thankful that I was able to finish the season healthy. The hitters worked hard to score points every time I took the mound, so I was able to take a good record.”
He said, “I heard about the title of winning percentage leader, and I am honored to be able to leave my name in the history of this outstanding KBO league. Rather than thinking about the next game, I decided to do my best every day, which led to good results.” .
Cuevas, who debuted in the KBO League wearing the KT uniform for the first time in 2019, contributed to KT’s first overall championship in 2021. He parted ways with the team last year due to a prolonged injury, but returned to KT as a replacement for Bo Schulser this season. And this season, he pitched 114⅓ innings in 18 games, recording 12 wins without a loss and an ERA of 2.60, leading the team to advance to the postseason.
Cuevas commented, “As I have gained experience, I can show a wild side on the mound and it has become easier to understand the habits of hitters in the KBO League. What I learned in the minor league has also been a good influence.”
With KT on the verge of being confirmed for second place, Cuevas must play an important role in the fall to advance to the Korean Series. Cuevas expressed his determination, saying, “The coaching staff will decide my role in the postseason, but I will do my best wherever I am.”