"There was an eye for players." Hanshin's first designated hitter 9 hits and 8 RBIs, the first four in the club's history to surpass 100 hits at the same time, and Hanwha 2022-2024's first designated pitcher will hit the 'strongest Eagles'

Sep 07, 2024

Sato and Oyama are the core forces of Hanshin again this year. Sato hit a grand slam and drove in five RBIs in the game on the 6th. Oyama had two hits and an RBI. Oyama wore a Hanshin uniform as the first designated player in 2017 and Sato in 2021. Photo capture = Hanshin Tigers SNS

Kim Seo-hyun, who joined as the first designated player in 2022, and Moon Dong-joo, the first designated player in 2021, (from right). Recently, Moon Dong-ju has shown good performance as a starting pitcher and Kim Seo-hyun as a reliever. Reporter Heo Sang-wook

An away game against the Yakult Swallows at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on the 6th. The Hanshin Tigers, which swept three consecutive games during the week against the Chunichi Dragons, won the game 9-1. He drove in 13 hits, including one grand slam, turning Yakult's mound into a mess. The lineup, which had been struggling with lack of concentration, scored nine points in two days following the match against Chunichi on the 4th.

Hanshin, who has been competing with Hiroshima Carp and Yomiuri Giants for first place, was slightly pushed out of the lead in August when it fell into a slump. He only won 12 games (14 losses) in 26 games held in August. The sense of crisis has increased.

He has won four consecutive games this month, changing the mood. The gap with second-place Hiroshima has narrowed to 1.5 games. He is third in the Central League, 2.5 games behind the first-place Yomiuri Giants.

Four center hitters flew in the game against Yakult on the 6th. They are No. 1-Jikamoto Koji (30), No. 3-right fielder Morishita Shota (23), No. 4-1 baseman Yusuke Oyama (30), and No. 5-3 baseman Teruaki Sato (25). They are the main hitters who won the Japan Series last year and are the key hitters that Hanshin boasts.

Morishita poured out four hits, Oyama and Sato hit two hits, and Chikamoto hit one hit. The four had nine hits and eight RBIs.

With one out and runners on second base in the top of the first inning, No. 3 Morishita hit a timely hit to center field. In the top of the second inning, when the score was tied at 1-1, No. 1 Zikamoto led again with a timely hit to the right. In the top of the fifth inning, No. 4 Oyama hit a double that fell into the left-field line, and No. 5 Sato added two more runs with a heavy hit.

Sato hit a home run that sealed the victory in the top of the sixth inning with a 5-1 lead. With the bases loaded with two outs, he hit his 12th grand slam of the season. He pushed an outside fastball thrown by the opponent's right-hander Yuya Onaka and flew it to the left stands of Meiji Jingu Stadium.

Chikamoto, Morishita, Oyama and Sato are Hanshin's rookie draft picks. Oyama won the first nomination in 2017, Chikamoto won 2019, Satoga 2021 and Morishita won the first nomination in 2023 and wore a Hanshin uniform.

Japanese media reported that for the first time in the club's history, four first-time rookie draft players had 100 hits at the same time.

By the 6th, Chikamoto had 139, Morishita had 107, Oyama had 104, and Sato had 102. Last year, the three, excluding Morissita, hit triple-digit hits. Morisita, who made his debut last year, produced 79 hits in the rookie season.

Morissita, a second-year outfielder who joined Hanshin with the first nomination last year. He hit four hits in an away game between Yakult and Tokyo on the 6th. He has four RBIs in the last three games to rank fourth in this category. It is now five times ahead of the top spot in this category. Photo capture = Hanshin Tigers SNS

Zikamoto, who won the Japan Series MVP last year, has been active as the No. 1 hitter again this year. As of the 6th, he is tied for first place in hits and No. 1 in stolen bases. After going through Kansai University and Osaka Gas of the Industrial League, Chikamoto joined the team with the first nomination in 2019. Photo capture = Hanshin Tigers SNS

All four of them came to Hanshin after graduating from college. After graduating from Kansai University, Chikamoto went through Osaka Gas, a team of social baseball players. The fact that four designated players are active as main players at the same time proves that Hanshin's scouting ability is excellent.

As of the 6th, Chikamoto is tied for first place in hits and first place in stolen bases. Oyama and Sato are tied for eighth in home runs, and Morishita is fourth in RBIs.

Morissita's momentum is scary. He has four RBIs in the last three games, five behind the top spot. He was strong in chances and recorded 42 hits in 114 at-bats and a batting average of 350. He ranks second overall in scoring.

Sato has three-digit hits, double-digit homers and more than 60 RBIs for four consecutive years since his first year as a pro. He has swept 11 RBIs in his last six games.

Zikamoto was included in the 'Best Nine' for the third year in a row from 2021 to 2023 and received the Golden Glove. Oyama hit a double-digit home run for the sixth consecutive 100-7th consecutive year.

Looking at them, there are KBO league teams and players that naturally come to mind. These are young pitchers recruited by Hanwha Eagles as the No. 1 players for three years from 2022-2024. Moon Dong-ju (21), Kim Seo-hyun (20) and Hwang Jun-seo (19), who are called the future of the Eagles, are all currently in the first-team entry. These three players were considered the best pitchers of high school in the year when the rookie draft was held. They are the same players that Hanwha, the last team, received while suffering humiliation.

against Doosan Bears in Daejeon on Sept. 3. Hanwha Moon Dong-joo greets right fielder Euro Gyeol, who caught Doosan Jared's ball with a good defense in the top of the sixth inning. Reporter Heo Sang-wook

Moon Dong-ju, who pitched 118 ⅔ innings last year, said, "This is the first full-time season. He has established himself as an axis of the starting lineup, but he has not shown as much growth as expected. He also had time to reorganize in the second division due to sluggishness, not injury, with 7-7 losses and 5.17 ERA in 21 games.

It is encouraging that it is rising at the end of the season when fierce ranking competition is underway. He has finished the past three games with quality starts (more than six innings as a starter, less than three earned runs). He pitched six scoreless innings against the Lotte Giants on August 27 and one run in six innings against the Doosan Bears on September 3.

Kim Seo-hyun, who had many twists and turns, has increased his weight as an intermediate pitcher. I haven't been able to gain faith yet, but my role has grown. Hwang Jun-seo, who started in the first team, was jagged. He has won two games (eight losses) as a starter and is moving on to the bullpen to gain experience. It takes a little more time for Kim Seo-hyun and Hwang Jun-seo, who are in their first or second year of high school, to become the main pitchers.

The three of them took the mound together in three games this season. It is against Doosan on April 10, KIA Tigers on July 19, and KT Wiz on August 1. In the previous two games, Moon Dong-ju collapsed in the beginning and became a losing pitcher. In the match against KT on August 1, starter Moon Dong-ju allowed two runs in five innings and won. Hwang Jun-seo, who played for the second time after Moon Dong-ju, allowed three hits and one run in ⅔ innings, and Kim Seo-hyun allowed three walks and no runs in ⅓ innings.

Hwang Joon-seo and Kim Seo-hyun, who finished the bottom of the 8th inning against Doosan Bears in Jamsil on August 24. Reporter Heo Sang-wook

On the day when the three players leap to the core power like Hanshin's first-place hitters, 'the strongest Hanwha' is likely to be possible in reality.

huelva@sportschosun.com