In the 2023 KBO League, games canceled due to rain at the beginning of the season are continuing. On the 5th, 3 out of 5 games were canceled due to rain. With 10 teams each playing 2, 3 or 4 games, the Hanwha Eagles were pushed to the bottom with a loss in 3 matches.
Last winter, unlike previous years, Hanwha actively recruited outside free agents and succeeded in reinforcing their strength. Outside free agents Chae Eun-seong, Lee Tae-yang, and Oh Seon-jin were recruited, and Lee Myung-ki was also brought in through a sign-and-trade. In fact, it is like recruiting four external free agents. Nevertheless, many experts predicted that Hanwha still did not have the power to get out of the bottom. Hanwha has only played three games yet, but the prospects seem to be coming true.
While Hanwha suffered three consecutive losses, it was regrettable that each game ended in a 1-point defeat. There is also a point of view that Hanwha has changed by demonstrating a stickyness that does not know the direction of the game until the end of the game. It is an optimism that Hanhwa, which was at the bottom with a win rate in the 30% range for three consecutive years until last year, has proven that it has escaped from the consciousness of defeat.
However, concerns are being raised that if Hanhwa repeats defeat by 1 point, players’ stamina may be exhausted early in the season and psychological collapse may accumulate. It is a story that a loss is the same after a 1-point lead or a 10-point lead.
A strong team wins a game by one point, and when it loses, it manages the game leisurely and prepares for the next game. However, Hanwha is putting all their efforts into winning by 1 point, but they are on a losing streak. There is also an analysis that the skills of Hanwha players are still insufficient to overcome the pressure of a one-point game.
In Hanwha, there was no game in which the starting pitcher digested more than 5.1 innings in 3 games. Since it is the first appearance of the starting pitchers, it is difficult to get more than 100 pitches. However, considering the reality of Hanwha, where the bullpen is weak, the absence of the role of starting pitchers cannot but be a big burden. 메이저사이트
Moreover, the new foreign pitcher Smith, who was expected to serve as the first starting ace, was injured in his KBO league debut. Smith started against the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on the 1st, which was the opening game, but complained of shoulder pain after 2.2 innings and gave up the pitch voluntarily.
Smith’s hospital examination revealed microscopic muscle damage. However, it left a strong question mark on whether it is possible to consistently start and digest long innings. It is a story that the nightmare of Hanwha, which fell to the bottom due to the consecutive injuries of foreign pitching duo Kingham and Carpenter at the beginning of last year, may revive.
Pena, who was recruited as a substitute foreign pitcher last year and succeeded in renewing his contract, collapsed with 6 hits, 2 homers, 2 walks and 5 runs in 4 innings in his first appearance against Samsung in Daegu on the 4th, and was knocked out early. Hanwha has been in deep trouble due to injuries and sluggishness since the first appearance of the season by foreign pitchers. However, that is not the case when it comes to having an ace-class starting pitcher in Korea.
On the 5th, the Daegu Samsung game was canceled due to rain, and Hanwha took a breather after losing three games in a row and gained time to reorganize. After ending the losing streak and succeeding in the first win of the season, attention is focusing on whether Hanwha can get out of the bottom and drive the 2023 season into a hassle.