From Ryu Hyun-jin to Moon Dong-ju, four people, including Hwang Jun-seo, compete for the solid 1st to 4th starter position.
The Hanwha Eagles have formed a ‘starting kingdom‘ with the addition of ‘Ace’ Ryu Hyun-jin. With solid 1st to 4th starters, there is fierce competition for the 5th starter spot.
Hanwha is a team that struggled last year with a weak starting mound. The starting pitchers’ average ERA was 4.37, ranking 8th out of 10 teams.
This winter, Hanwha strengthened its batting line and defense by recruiting infielder Ahn Chi-hong in the free agent (FA) market. However, spring camp began without any significant changes to the starting mound.
Until the middle of this month, Hanwha planned to use foreign pitchers Felix Peña, Ricardo Sanchez, and Moon Dong-ju as the first three starters. The remaining two seats were undecided.
With Ryu Hyun-jin joining on the 22nd, the starting rotation concept changed. Ryu Hyun-jin, who was selected as the starting pitcher for the opening game early on, took over as the first starter, and four starters, including two foreign pitchers and Moon Dong-ju, were confirmed.
It is a composition that is not inferior to any other team.
Peña, who is in his third year in the KBO League, posted 11 wins (11 losses) last year, and Sanchez joined as a substitute and earned 7 wins (8 losses). Since he is not a new foreigner, there is no need for an adaptation period to the KBO League.
Moon Dong-ju, who won the KBO League Rookie of the Year Award last year, was recognized for his skills by posting 8 wins (8 losses) despite being limited to innings under the team’s thorough management.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who ‘trusts and sees’, added to this. Ryu Hyun-jin recorded a total of 98 wins, 52 losses, 1 save, and an ERA of 2.80 in 190 games in the KBO League. He appeared in a total of 186 games in the major leagues from 2013 to last year, recording 78 wins, 48 losses, and an ERA of 3.27.
Manager Choi Won-ho expressed confidence, saying, “A major league starting pitcher has arrived,” adding, “The starting lineup that was considered weak has changed into a strong starting lineup with the arrival of an ace.”
Competition for the remaining starting positions has also become more intense. Initially, Taeyang Lee, Minwoo Kim, Kijoong Kim, and Junseo Hwang fought for two seats, but now there is only one seat left. In that there is fierce competition within the team, you can feel the change in Hanwha, which has been in the bottom tier for many years.
Coach Choi said, “Hwang Jun-seo is really good at the ball itself. “He has a good end to the ball,” he said, adding, “Kim Min-woo and Lee Tae-yang have a lot of experience.” He also said of Kim Ki-joong, “His control and command of breaking balls have improved a lot.”
Coach Choi plans to confirm the remaining starting position after watching the practice game and exhibition game held in Okinawa, Japan. 성인웹툰