The Hanwha Eagles finished last for three consecutive years until last year. After the end of last season, they made a number of changes. The team changed managers, strengthened the front line, and reorganised the coaching staff. This season, the team is still stuck in the bottom half of the table. They left the bottom of the table at the beginning of May, but as of the 29th, they are half a game behind ninth-placed KT Wiz. The gap has narrowed to 2.5 games.
It’s a shame that we missed out on the games we could have caught right after the opening day due to a lack of ‘details’. The early departure of Butch Smith, who was expected to bat first, and the underperformance of Brian O’Grady, who was brought in to bat at No. 4, were particularly disappointing.
There is no excuse for the club’s front office, even if it is a ‘lotto’ foreign player. There is primary responsibility.
The batting struggles are ongoing. However, there are a number of positives.메이저놀이터
Newcomer Ricardo has appeared in three games, winning one and posting a 0.64 ERA. He joined the team in early May and has been pitching well, including a five-inning, three-hit shutout against the KIA Tigers on the 23rd. With Felix Peña on the rise as of late, the team will be looking for a foreign ‘one-two punch’.
Outside free agents who joined the team this year continue to perform well.
Right-hander Lee Tae-yang (33) appeared in 16 games and threw 24⅔ innings. He has two holds and a 1.82 ERA. Capable of both starting and relieving, Lee has been more reliable in May. In seven games, he has pitched 11⅓ innings with one earned run and a 0.79 ERA.
He had a nine-game scoreless streak from 23 April against the LG Twins to 24 May against the KIA Tigers before giving up one run in two innings against the NC Dinos on 26 May. Ita-Yang hasn’t fallen apart. He is the centrepiece of the bullpen.
All-weather infielder Oh Sun-jin, 34, batted 2-for-4 (20 for 82) with seven RBIs and 10 runs scored in 36 games. Offensively, his slugging percentage (3-for-6) and on-base percentage (3-for-4) stand out. Her on-base percentage is second only to Choi Jae-hoon and Noh Si-hwan, and her batting average in scoring position is second only to Chae Eun-sung.
His defensive contributions are also high. Playing primarily at shortstop, Oh has made “0” errors in 169⅔ innings across 27 games. He shows why veterans are needed.
Chae Eun-sung (33) is a beacon in a fragile batting line-up. As of the 29th, she’s batting 2-for-8 in 43 games with 168 runs.
48 hits), eight home runs and 32 RBIs. After hitting 3-for-1 in April, she dropped to 2-for-4 in May. Despite the slowdown in his batting pace, he has continued to perform solidly as the centrepiece of the weakest Hanwha batting lineup.
He is tied for the team lead in hits with Roh Si-hwan, second in home runs, and first in RBIs. It’s hard to imagine a batting lineup without Chae Eun-sung.
Along with Choi Jae-hoon, Oh Sun-jin is the best of the bunch. Lee Tae-yang, who started his professional career with Hanwha, is the big brother and leader of the pitching staff.
When Hanwha signed three outside free agents last November, they sent a clear message. It was a sign that they wanted to add experience to their youthful team and get results. The expectation was that the veterans would anchor the team, and they’ve delivered.
After last season, Hanwha signed Lee Tae-yang for four years and 2.5 billion won, Oh Sun-jin for one plus one year and 400 million won, and Chae Eun-sung for six years and 9 billion won. In total, Hanwha invested 11.9 billion won to bolster the team. The strategic investments are paying off.