Hanwha’s underperformance last year and this year had a lot to do with injuries and underperformance of foreign players. Last year, the team was unable to field a full rotation due to injuries to both of its foreign pitchers (Nick Kingham and Ryan Carpenter). We had too many leaks in our already weak mound.
The foreign player nightmare continued this year. Butch Smith, who the team was counting on as an ace, was forced to leave the game on April 1, the opening day, after grabbing his shoulder in the third inning of the game against Gochuk. Left-handed hitter Brian O’Grady, who was expected to provide the team with some much-needed power, was eventually released after a shocking .125 batting average in 22 games.토토사이트
The team needed a replacement, and they needed it fast. However, the process took longer than expected, and as a result, we didn’t have the right players on the field at the right time. In the meantime, there was also the tumultuous firing of head coach Carlos Suvero. While it wasn’t all about the foreign players, it’s fair to say that the failure to bet on foreign players and the delay in replacing them played a role in the team’s poor performance.
Smith’s spot has been filled. Left-hander Ricardo Sanchez, 26, has been pitching above expectations. In his first seven games, he went 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in 37⅔ innings pitched. We took a breath. The foreign-borne slot that took longer than expected to fill and kept everyone on their toes is now filled. Nick Williams, a new foreign-born hitter signed for a total of $450,000, stepped onto Korean soil.
Williams is expected to join the first team squad on Thursday against Changwon after completing his physical. Hanwha head coach Choi Won-ho said he’ll need three to four days to adjust to the time difference and will watch him train in Changwon for now. However, if everything goes well, he will join the first team next week. “If he’s fit and healthy, he’ll be in the pool next week,” Choi said. It’s a story that speaks to the urgency of the team’s situation and the expectations for Williams.
In fact, Choi had only seen Williams’ hitting on video. One or two days of training can be misleading. But he decided to put him in the first team without a second team game. After all, the first team is the stage where he has to adapt. On the other hand, the ability of foreign batters is essential for Hanwha.
On the other hand, the ability of foreign batters is essential for Hanwha.
Manager Choi Won-ho of Peña ⓒKyun Hye-mi Reporter
Hanwha is at the bottom of the league with a team batting average of .236 as of the 22nd. It’s a far cry from the league average (.258). The team OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) is also last in the league at 0.656. The team’s batting average is down, and they don’t have enough long balls. The absence of a foreign hitter is also quite significant. Choi is preparing for Williams by drawing up a lineup that includes him.
Choi is concerned that the top of the lineup doesn’t have a player with a very high batting average. If you don’t have a player with a big batting average, it’s better to have a player with a long bat to boost your offensive production. Recently, Lee Jin-young and Kim In-hwan have been playing well as tablesetters, and Noh Si-hwan and Chae Eun-sung have been playing consistently. Williams completes the top and center batting lineup. “I’m thinking about the No. 2 or No. 5 spot,” Choi said of Williams’ batting order.
“The bottom of the order is a little less powerful, but we want to make up for it with accuracy and execution. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where Hanwha could use multiple players to maximize efficiency.
In any case, Hanwha will have a full lineup of foreign players next week. It will be difficult for them to use the excuse that they don’t have any foreign players. The pressure to perform will only increase. Hanwha went 11-19-1 (.367) under Subero, when the team was even weaker than it is now due to the departure of foreign players. Since Choi’s arrival, the team has improved to 14 W, 18 L, 3 D (.438), but hasn’t won five games in a row. How the team performs after Williams’ arrival will be a topic of discussion for the rest of the season.