Do all five of them build the best starting lineup in the history of ace + α Hanwha…The first year and 6 years of the new stadium
Jan 02, 2025
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Hanwha was serious about strengthening its starting lineup this year. He had a chance to shake up the last five last year, but the starting lineup collapsed as Jaime Barria (29), who was expected to be the second starter, was sluggish and Moon Dong-ju (22) was out due to injury. The fifth starter is a source of anxiety that almost all clubs have. In fact, Ryu Hyun-jin (38) and Ryan Weiss (29) held out as two players, so he had no choice but to lack his hindsight.
Hanwha made efforts to build a solid starting lineup this winter. For now, he renewed his contract with Weiss, who wrote the myth of alternative foreign success, for a total of $950,000 (about 1.4 billion won). Weiss went 5-5 with 91 ⅔ innings and a 3.73 ERA in 16 games. He proved his ability to play in the inning by recording 11 quality starts. Aggressive pitches that gave up only 29 walks while striking out 98 also received a passing score. When the battle for the semifinals is in full swing, he even takes a four-day rest and takes the mound. It was enough to impress Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon.
Hanwha moved quickly as soon as the FA market opened, catching starting pitcher Eom Sang-baek (29) at 7.8 billion won for four years. There was a bleeding of giving up outfielder Jang Jin-hyuk (32) to kt Wiz as a reward player for Um Sang-baek, but Hanwha put weight on securing one more starting pitcher who could win 10 games this season. Um went 13-10 with 156 ⅔ innings, 159 strikeouts and a 4.88 ERA in 29 games last year. The ERA may be disappointing, but the inclusion of sidearm Um Sang-baek in the starting lineup could add diversity.
The remaining foreign pitcher was filled by right-hander Cody Ponce (31). He signed a contract with Ponce for a total of 1 million dollars (about 1.4 billion won). Ponce uses his tall height of 1m98 to spray powerful fastballs. The average fastball speed exceeds 150 kilometers, and he has control while using various breaking balls.
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Ryu Hyun-jin and Moon Dong-ju are the new and old ace representing Hanwha, which does not require additional explanation. Ryu Hyun-jin returned to Hanwha last year after 10 years in the Major League and recorded 28 games, 10-8, 158 ⅓ innings, 135 strikeouts, and a 3.87 ERA. It may be a disappointing report card compared to his heyday, but he showed a class that can take responsibility for more than 150 innings in the season even in his late 30s.
Moon Dong-ju received the Rookie of the Year award in 2023 and prepared for last season with enthusiasm, but was sluggish. Since the opening, Moon Dong-ju's fastball has not come out, causing him to tilt his head, but shoulder pain was the cause. In the second half, he played 4-1 with 45 innings and a 2.60 ERA in eight games, making expectations for a rebound, but he ended the season due to a recurrence of shoulder pain. At the club level, the player did not overdo it by looking far away. As long as he is healthy in the new year, Moon Dong-ju will do his part.
With five starting positions filled with ace players, there are several players who will compete for the sixth starting position. Hwang Joon-seo (20), Kim Ki-joong (23), and Cho Dong-wook (21) got the opportunity to start as the 5th starter last year and are likely to continue taking selection classes. By the middle of this season, right-hander Kim Min-woo (30), who was the first starter at Hanwha in the past, can return from rehabilitation from elbow surgery. It will also be interesting to see if Jung Woo-joo (19), a special rookie who throws a fastball close to 160km/h this year, can start as a bullpen and grow into a starter.
After enjoying the last autumn baseball festival in third place in 2018, Hanwha had to swallow its disappointment by moving around only the lower ranks for six years until last year. With the announcement of a new start at the new stadium this year, Hanwha has built a stronger mound than ever before that determines the regular season ranking. Will Hanwha be able to shake off the sadness of the past six years and make a celebration in the fall of the new stadium in the first year.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
