KBO Preview: Kiwoom Heroes vs KT Wiz | July 07 Starting Pitchers & Predictions

An Woo-jin

Away Starter | Kiwoom Heroes

2W-4L | ERA 3.60 | 50 IP | 68K

So Hyeong-jun

Home Starter | KT Wiz

3W-0L | ERA 3.67 | 54 IP | 46K

Starting Pitcher Breakdown

An Woo-jin takes the mound for the Kiwoom Heroes seeking to arrest a troubling trend that has defined his recent outings. The 26-year-old right-hander carries a 2-4 record with a 3.60 earned run average across 50 innings pitched this season. His control remains respectable, evidenced by a 1.18 WHIP, though his strikeout rate of 68 over 50 innings suggests moderate velocity and pitch effectiveness. An’s arsenal relies heavily on his fastball at 151 kilometers per hour, which comprises 42 percent of his offerings. His slider at 141 kilometers per hour accounts for 29 percent of pitches, while his curveball at 127 kilometers per hour rounds out a conventional three-pitch mix at 17 percent usage. Notably, An has surrendered consecutive defeats to the Doosan Bears and the LG Twins, yielding substantial run totals in four of his last five appearances. This pattern of inconsistency creates vulnerability against a KT lineup that has demonstrated offensive capability throughout July.

So Hyung-jun represents stability and recent success for the home team. The KT Wiz starter maintains an immaculate 3-0 record with identical 3.67 ERA across 54 innings of work. His WHIP stands at 1.41, marginally elevated compared to his counterpart, though his strikeout total of 46 suggests greater reliance on contact management than pure domination. So employs a two-seamer at 144 kilometers per hour as his primary weapon, occupying 48 percent of his pitch distribution. A well-developed cutter at 139 kilometers per hour comprises 21 percent of his arsenal, while a changeup at 130 kilometers per hour at 20 percent usage provides variance against opposite-handed batters. So has demonstrated resilience through recent adversity, posting a victory against the Hanwha Eagles in his most recent outing following two consecutive defeats to the Lotte Giants. His improving trajectory and undefeated record merit consideration as a significant advantage in this matchup.

Team Form and Recent Performance

The Kiwoom Heroes occupy the basement position in the KBO standings with a record of 29 wins, one draw, and 55 losses. This historically poor performance reflects systematic deficiencies in both offensive production and pitching consistency. The Heroes’ recent five-game sequence reveals a pattern of defeat, with victories scarce and run differentials consistently favoring opponents. Their singular win during this stretch against the Doosan Bears proved insufficient to reverse momentum. The organization faces critical challenges in run generation and preventing explosive offensive outbursts from opponents. Playing as the away team compounds these difficulties, as road performances typically suffer from reduced support and environmental disadvantages.

The KT Wiz represent the opposite end of the competitive spectrum, currently seated in third place with 45 victories, one draw, and 35 defeats. This substantially more competitive record reflects balanced offensive production and greater pitching stability. KT’s recent performance against the Lotte Giants resulted in two consecutive defeats despite one victory, followed by mixed results against the Hanwha Eagles with one win and one loss. The organization demonstrates capability to compete against quality opponents while occasionally stumbling against weaker competition. Their home-field advantage at the Suwon KT Wiz Park provides tangible benefits in terms of field familiarity and crowd support. KT’s record in this season’s head-to-head series shows dominance at 6-2, indicating significant superiority in recent matchups against this specific opponent.

Head-to-Head History

The historical record between these organizations during the 2026 season overwhelmingly favors the KT Wiz. Across nine completed regular season matchups, KT maintains a 6-2 advantage with one draw, demonstrating consistent superiority regardless of circumstance. This disparity suggests fundamental differences in team quality, execution capability, and performance consistency. The Kiwoom Heroes have proven unable to establish competitive equilibrium against KT, with the gap widening through the season’s progression. Home-field advantage does not appear to substantially ameliorate this competitive disparity, as KT has won convincingly in both Seoul and Suwon venues. The statistical evidence points toward continued KT dominance in this fixture.

Key Matchup to Watch

The critical factor in this encounter centers upon An Woo-jin’s ability to limit the KT offensive attack during early innings. The Kiwoom starter’s vulnerability has been exposed by superior lineups recently, particularly his tendency to surrender multi-run innings during the first three frames. KT’s two-seamer and contact-oriented approach creates potential matchup problems for An’s fastball-dependent arsenal. Should KT establish an early lead, the Heroes’ inadequate offensive production becomes a compounding factor, as chasing games typically results in deteriorated pitching performance and increased defensive vulnerability. Conversely, So Hyung-jun’s demonstrated ability to induce contact while minimizing hard contact suggests that even modest offensive support may prove sufficient for KT victory. The battle between An’s fastball command and KT’s hitting approach in the initial three innings will likely determine the contest’s trajectory and ultimate outcome.

Prediction

The overwhelming evidence supports KT Wiz victory in this matchup. Superior team composition, advantageous head-to-head record, home-field positioning, and comparative pitcher quality all indicate a probable KT triumph. An Woo-jin’s inconsistent recent performance against quality opponents, combined with Kiwoom’s offensive limitations, suggests substantial difficulty in generating sufficient runs for victory. So Hyung-jun’s improved trajectory and undefeated record provide confidence in quality starting pitching. While the KBO’s competitive nature prevents absolute certainty, the probability distribution clearly favors the home team.