Amid predictions that Toronto Blue Jays Ryu Hyun-jin could be offered a fairly generous multi-year contract in the free agent market after this season, attention is also being drawn to the strategy that agent Scott Boras will devise.스포츠토토

On the 8th (Korean time), MLB.com said in an article titled ‘9 prospective free agents who need to finish 2023 with good results’, ‘Ryu Hyun-jin is unlikely to sign a 4-year, $80 million contract like last time. “It’s difficult,” he predicted, “but if we maintain a stable pace like now, a fairly generous multi-year contract (lucrative multiyear pact) will likely be possible.”

MLB.com mentioned Ryu Hyun-jin as the 7th among the 9 players. Even if it is not the meaning of the free agent rankings evaluated by influential media every off-season, being included in the ‘Top 9’ itself can be taken to mean that he is a candidate who can receive a lot of demand, or love calls.

A multi-year contract literally means a contract of more than two years. MLB.com believes that Ryu Hyun-jin can stay in the major league for at least two more years.

Ryu Hyun-jin took the mound against the Colorado Rockies on the 2nd (Korean time). AP Yonhap News
So, how can Boras, a ‘negotiation genius’ and ‘free agent strategist’, package the ‘product Ryu Hyun-jin’ and sell it for how much?

Boras considers his performance and scarcity just before free agency to be an important bargaining chip. He believes that he needs to stay healthy for at least one season and appeal to his unique strengths to get the money he wants.

Take Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger, another Boras client.

In an interview with USA Today on the 28th of last month, Boras said, “Demand is always created from scarcity. A five-tool player (like Cody) with a high level of skill at a young age can hit, run, and power bat as a Gold Glove-level center fielder and first baseman. “If you do that, you are a rare commodity in the major leagues,” he said. “The demand for such players is very, very high.”

As is well known, Bellinger appeared on the free agent market as if he was kicked out of the Los Angeles Dodgers last winter. The Dodgers released him after suffering from injuries and poor performance for three years after winning the NL MVP in 2019, and Boras is said to have mainly negotiated a one-year contract in the free agent market. There were some clubs that offered a guarantee of more than two years, but they went with the Cubs, who offered ‘1+1 year’ including a mutual option for 2024.

It was a very strategic choice. The idea was to put the mutual option on as a safety measure, perform well this year, and then go to the free agent market again and sign a proper contract. Boras’ strategy seems to be working. Bellinger made a spectacular comeback this season. As of today, he has a batting average of 0.320, 24 home runs, 86 RBI, 84 runs, 19 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.916. He is 4th in NL batting average and 5th in OPS. Even though he was out for a month due to a knee injury, his home runs and RBIs are at a level that puts him in the top 10. It can be said that he recovered his skills in 2019.

USA Today reported Boras’ words and said, ‘Bellinger’s price will be very expensive. He predicted that he might ask for more than $200 million and $300 million.

If this is the strategy, Ryu Hyun-jin, who has only been able to play for two months after returning from elbow surgery, is no different from a ‘difficult problem’ for Boras. It is realistically difficult to receive an average annual salary of more than $20 million. He may be looking at a one-year contract like Bellinger.

However, Ryu Hyun-jin is not unfamiliar with this strategy. In 2018, his first free agent season after joining the LA Dodgers, he suffered an injury and was in rehabilitation from early May to mid-August. And after his return, he pitched brilliantly with 4 wins and 3 losses and an ERA of 1.88 in 9 games. Of course, he went to the market expecting to be offered a fairly high price in the free agent market, but Boras had different thoughts. Accepted the Dodgers’ qualifying offer (QO) of $17.9 million. The strategy was to do one more season and target the free agent market again. The result was a huge success. Ryu Hyun-jin increased his value by performing Cy Young Award-level pitching in 2019, hitting the jackpot of $80 million over four years.

Can we use the same strategy this time? Considering the variables of age and health, the conditions and environment are different from 2018. It may not be the best idea to sign a 1-year or 1+1 year contract and pitch full-time next year with top skills and then aim for a big hit again. This is because, as he is about to turn 40, it is unclear whether he will receive a multi-year contract with an average annual salary of more than $20 million in the free agent market at the end of next year. So, if it is a contract that guarantees more than two years, it seems more likely that it will be accepted.

How will Boras explain and persuade Ryu Hyun-jin about this strategy? Everything is still just a question mark. One thing is certain: clubs are starting to pay attention to free agent Ryu Hyun-jin.

NC Dinos Eric Peddie (30) is showing off his might as an ‘ecosystem destroyer’ in the KBO League.

He was selected by the Washington Nationals as the first pick in the 2014 Major League Baseball Draft and was an active Major Leaguer who was in the full-time starting rotation until last year. Among foreign players who have played in the KBO league so far, Peddie has one of the best careers, and his teammates were also outstanding. In particular, representative pitchers who played in Washington with Peddie include big pitcher Max Scherzer (39, Texas Rangers), who won three Cy Young Awards and recorded 3,365 strikeouts in the third inning, and Stephen Strasburg (2019 World Series MVP), who is currently stigmatized as a fraud, 35, retired), etc. The know-how and teachings received from them are also being spread to the KBO League.스포츠토토

Peddie said, “I tried to ask as many questions as possible to many seniors in the major leagues, including Scherzer, Strasburg, and Gio Gonzalez, and I got that much. I want to give back what I received from Korea as much as I received from my seniors. I answered all the questions from my fellow pitchers. “I will try to answer sincerely,” he explained.

Peddie’s teachings to NC’s young pitchers as well as KBO League representative Young-Geon also reached Young-Geon of other clubs. In particular, Moon Dong-ju (20), the future of Hanwha and the future of the KBO League, wanted to spend time with Peddie, and the time was provided. From August 15th to 17th, a meeting between Peddie and Moon Dong-ju took place ahead of Hanwha’s expedition to Changwon. The day before the first game of the series (14th), a meeting between Peddie and Moon Dong-ju took place somewhere in Changwon. A Hanwha scout and a Peddie Agency executive arranged a meeting between the two players.

Looking back on the meeting at the time, Peddie said, “Moon Dong-ju seemed like a friend with a strong will to learn baseball. So the dinner was arranged. We talked a lot about baseball while sitting together,” he said. “I shared my know-how in this way with the hope of becoming the best in the field,” he explained.

He continued, “I think that if the things I taught come from Dong-ju Moon, the league will grow further and baseball will become more fun. With that in mind, I shared my know-how,” and said, “I shared my know-how with Dong-ju Moon in the hope that he will become the best ace in the league.” He added that he had passed it on.

However, what surprised Peddie was Moon Dong-ju’s English skills. Peddie said, “Moon Dong-ju was so good at English that communication related to baseball wasn’t a big problem. I shared as much as I could about my knowledge of playing baseball in the major leagues for 10 years, and Moon Dong-ju also asked a lot of questions about pitching.” did.

Moon Dong-ju honed his English at an English kindergarten when he was young and is known to have no hesitation in communicating with Hanwha foreign players. Fedi did not hide his surprise at this point.

He also emphasized to the NC players, “Rather than keeping my secrets, I am trying to answer what I have as honestly as possible.” Peddie plans to release everything he has experienced through continuous development into the KBO League. NC pitchers will be given priority, but if the opportunity arises, many Korean pitchers hope to gain their know-how. The approaching players do not object and say they are always open to discussions related to baseball.

Peddie’s ultimate goal is to return to the major leagues, and there is actually a lot of interest from major league clubs. However, his love for the KBO league and Korea was genuine. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, he said, “When I get older and retire, I’ll be really happy that I played in Korea. I think it’ll be really fun to look back on everything.” Just as he puts forth his best effort on the mound, Peddie is passionate about Korean baseball and treats it with sincerity. The English meeting with Moon Dong-ju became one of his representative examples.

“Ohtani took a swing!”

Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels) recovered from a side injury on the 8th (Korean time) and picked up the bat again. On this day, he was not named in the starting lineup for the game against the Cleveland Guardians, but it could be assumed that his condition was better than on the 7th, when he could not even train before the game.

Chunichi Sports, a Japanese sports media outlet, reported, “Ohtani took a swing! He even ran with a happy face. However, he was left out of the starting lineup for four consecutive games.” Just taking a swing becomes news.

Ohtani has not played as a hitter since the game against the Oakland Athletics on the 4th. After damage to his right elbow ligaments was discovered in the game against the Cincinnati Reds on the 24th of last month, he decided to immediately concentrate on being a designated hitter, but even this ended in an accident 10 days later.

Ohtani felt something wrong with his side while training ahead of the game against the Baltimore Orioles on the 5th. The Angels had to put Brandon Drury in the number 2 designated hitter spot that had previously belonged to Ohtani.메이저놀이터

While the mystery of whether or not he had to undergo elbow surgery has not been fully resolved, Ohtani’s remaining season has become even more uncertain due to the side injury. Still, good news came out on the 8th. Unlike the previous day, he showed his body that his condition had improved as he participated in batting training and warm-up before the game.

Chunichi Sports said, “It’s been three days since Otani injured his right side during batting practice. On the 8th, he swung the bat. He came out of the clubhouse wearing a red T-shirt, shorts, and gloves around 4 p.m., two and a half hours before the game started. The destination was: “It was an indoor batting cage. Ohtani entered the cage once, then came out to the ground with a bat and swung with 70-80% of his power. Then he entered the cage again,” the report said.

Angels manager Phil Nevin explained before the game on the 7th, “Ohtani warmed up in the cage, but did not swing.” A day later, Otani’s condition improved and he even ran on the ground after finishing batting training. Chunichi Sports wrote, “He had a bright smile and a happy face.”

Coach Nevin explained the reason for excluding him from the starting lineup, saying, “It was a good move. Although it is difficult to be a starter, there is a chance to be a pinch hitter,” and “I don’t want to take a risk.” He also said that Ohtani could soon start as the designated hitter, saying, “It’s a day or two away.”

This is the first time in three years that Ohtani has missed three consecutive games since September 18-20, 2020. If the pinch hitter is canceled, he will miss 4 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Ohtani appeared in 23 games as a pitcher and pitched 132 innings, recording 10 wins, 5 losses, an ERA of 3.14, and 167 strikeouts.

As a hitter, he posted a batting average of 0.304, an OPS of 1.066, 44 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 95 RBI in 135 games. He ranks first in the American League in home runs, and ranks first in the Major League in on-base percentage (0.412), slugging percentage (0.654), and OPS.

An expanded entry system implemented every September 1st to give opportunities to promising players and prevent abuse of existing players who have played more than 100 games. SSG Landers also registered as many as four pitchers, but the role of Noh Kyung-eun (39) did not change.

Noh Kyung-eun suffered his 4th loss (8 wins) of the season with 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 strikeout, and 1 run in ⅔ innings in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League regular season away game against the Hanwha Eagles held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park on the 7th.메이저놀이터

He took the mound in a situation that could have been the deciding factor. In the bottom of the 7th inning, with SSG ahead 3-1, Song Young-jin hit a hit to right by Choi Jae-hoon, followed by a double to right-center field from Lee Do-yoon, putting the runners on second and third base with one out, and Noh Gyeong-eun came on the mound. SSG’s selection seemed natural as he was the most reliable bullpen pitcher on the team. However, even for Noh Kyung-eun, who was facing a difficult situation, three consecutive fights were not easy. He had perfectly blocked the previous two games with one inning, one strikeout, and no runs (12 pitches), and one inning, one hit, one strikeout, and no runs (16 pitches), but the aftereffects were visible.

Noh Kyung-eun gave up a sacrifice fly to left field to pinch hitter Moon Hyun-bin and a timely RBI single to pinch hitter Nick Williams, allowing the score to be tied 3-3. He then gave up a straight walk to Noh Si-hwan, allowing Chae Eun-seong to hit a timely hit with an RBI single to left with 2 outs and runners on first and second base, allowing a comeback. After sending out Kim Tae-yeon with an automatic intentional 4th pitch, he barely put out the fire by striking out Choi In-ho with a missed swing, but he did not receive support from the team’s batting lineup and ended up being the losing pitcher.

This season, Noh Kyung-eun is playing a key role in the SSG bullpen with 8 wins, 4 losses, 24 holds (2nd in the league), 2 saves, and an ERA of 3.72 in 61 games. He always stepped up in every game the team needed to catch, and soon became the league’s second-most appearing relief pitcher with 65⅓ innings. Noh Kyung-eun, who joined SSG in 2022 after being released from Lotte Giants in 2021 and became a sure-win team for two consecutive years, was also praised as an ‘icon of human victory.’

However, even he, who was almost impregnable until May, gradually began to feel tired. Even young pitchers often pitched multiple innings and pitched three straight pitches, which is not easy. He pitched more than one inning in 20 of the 61 games and had three consecutive pitches, including the three-game series against Hanwha in this Daejeon. In June, his ERA faltered at 8.71, and it was only after taking a break during the All-Star break that he stabilized again. From August 3 to 5, while traveling between Suwon and Busan, he threw a total of 69 pitches over three days and earned two relief wins.

Still, rest was still necessary. Just looking at his velocity, based on the baseball statistics website Stat Tees, the average fastball velocity, which reached up to 149 km/h in the first half, became difficult to see above 146 km/h in the second half of the year. In order to survive the remaining month, which has become even more intense due to the increased number of rainy weather cancellations this season, it is essential for Pil Seung-joo and Noh Kyung-eun to manage their physical strength. The only thing to count on was the September expansion entry, but as of a week later, there is still no pitcher in sight to share the burden of ‘old man’ Noh Kyung-eun.

SSG recorded 61 wins, 1 draw, and 53 losses in the losing series against Hanwha, falling to 4th place 141 days after April 19. SSG, which was once competing with the LG Twins for the championship, is now worried about fall baseball as it has not been able to resolve its dependence on some bullpens such as Noh Kyung-eun, Ko Hyo-jun (40), and Seo Jin-yong (31). As of before the game on the 8th, there is an 8.5 game gap with 1st place LG and a 4 game gap with 6th place Doosan Bears, so they are now closer to 6th place.

It is difficult to expect young pitchers to replace the 39-year-old veteran in the short term. However, given the fierce competition for fall baseball rankings, it is difficult to give opportunities to young pitchers. This is why Noh Kyung-eun still takes the mound in times of crisis even when the number of pitchers has increased. High scores and ample leads give sure-to-win teams a break and allow managers to provide opportunities for young pitchers. In that sense, the batting line needs to work harder.

Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 6th, where a professional baseball game between KIA and Doosan was held. On this day, KIA fans who filled the away seats of the stadium, which was filled with 20,468 spectators, began singing the cheering song ‘Southbound Train’ in the 9th inning. It is a kind of congratulatory song that KIA fans who filled the stands until the end of the game always sing before leaving, and on this day, it was an exciting song celebrating a monumental victory. This is because KIA had a ‘9-game winning streak’ after 10 years and 3 months (3730 days). KIA fans, who filled more seats than home Doosan fans, sang more passionately than ever. The atmosphere was heated as if it were a Korean series. On this day, the ‘Tiger Army’ KIA was the owner of Jamsil.

KIA won 7-1 in the away game against Doosan in the 2023 KBO League held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 6th.메이저놀이터

At the KIA-Doosan professional baseball game held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 6th, fans of KIA, who are trying for their 9th consecutive win, are filling the infield cheering seats. yunhap news
With this victory, KIA achieved its 9th consecutive win. It has been 3730 days since June 2013 that KIA had 9 consecutive wins. Starting with the win against KT on the 24th of last month, KIA won all three consecutive games against Hanwha, won one of the three consecutive games against NC (two games were canceled due to rain), and swept the three consecutive games against SSG last weekend. KIA also won against Doosan, completing a 9-game winning streak.

Against Doosan, KIA showed off its perfect two-stroke performance. KIA’s fire bat, which has been hot recently, showed no signs of cooling down on this day. Doosan put forward ‘native ace’ Kwak Bin to block KIA. Kwak Bin previously showed a strong performance against KIA with 2 wins and an ERA of 1.59, but he was helpless against the KIA batting lineup on this day. Kwak Bin left the mound early, allowing 6 hits (2 home runs), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 6 runs in 3.1 innings.

KIA’s batting line produced a total of 13 hits on this day. Na Seong-beom and Kim Do-young led the way to victory with two-run shots in the third and fourth innings, respectively. In the 3rd inning, Na Seong-beom lifted Kwak Bin’s curveball and fired a two-run gun that went over the right wall in the 3rd inning with one out and runners on second base. With this home run, KIA took a 2-0 lead. Na Seong-beom, who hit his 15th home run this season, achieved a home run against his former club. He is showing off his improved sense, hitting four home runs in the last five games.

It wasn’t just the batting line that performed well. Foreign pitcher Panoni, who started for KIA on this day, put the Doosan batting lineup to rest by pitching 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, 7 strikeouts, and no runs. He boasted such exquisite control that he did not give up a single walk. Park Jun-pyo and Yoon Jung-hyun, who came out of the bullpen, did not allow a run, and Kim Yu-shin, who pitched in the 9th inning, allowed only one run, completing the 7-1 victory.

After the game, Panoni said, “The team continued its winning streak, and I personally feel good because I made a pitch that I liked.” He added, “The team has a very good offense, so I was able to throw without pressure.” He continued, “I don’t know how long it will last, but I hope the team can continue its winning streak. “There is a fierce battle for rankings, and I think there will be good results if I play my role well so that the team can win,” he said.

KIA coach Kim Jong-guk said, “We showed good performance in two-strokes. First, starting pitcher Panoni played his role very well, going 6 innings without allowing any runs as expected,” he said. “In batting, Na Seong-beom’s two-run home run to open the final game at a quick timing revived the atmosphere. In the top of the 4th inning, Park Chan-ho’s RBI, Kim Do-young’s home run, and Socrates’ timely hit led to a big inning and victory. “It is encouraging that both pitchers maintain a good sense of the game,” he said.

Finally, Coach Kim said, “Even though it was a weekday, we were able to continue our winning streak thanks to the support of many fans. “I will do my best tomorrow too,” he said.

KIA will attempt its 10th consecutive win against Doosan on the 7th. The team’s signature pitcher, Yang Hyun-jong, will be the starting pitcher. Doosan’s starting pitcher to counter this is Wonjun Choi.

KT Hwang Jae-gyun hit a walk-off hit in the home game against LG in the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do on the 6th, returning the bitter loss from a day ago. 

KT scored 4 points in the bottom of the 9th inning after trailing 0-3, creating a thrilling comeback drama of 4-3. 

With the win on this day, KT succeeded in escaping a 4-game losing streak and maintained 2nd place with 64 wins, 51 losses, and 2 draws, and narrowed the gap against 1st place LG from 6.5 games to 5.5 games.

LG third baseman Bo-kyung Moon jumped to catch Hwang Jae-gyun’s high-bounded ball with bases loaded and two outs, leading 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it grazed his glove and had to bow as he allowed a walk-off hit. 메이저놀이터

LG Moon Bo-kyung bowed his head in poor defense.

LG’s Kelly and KT’s Benjamin started and showed no runs until the 5th inning, showing the fans a luxury pitcher’s battle. 

LG broke the tight streak of 0 first. After Shin Min-jae got on base with a single in the top of the sixth inning, Shin Min-jae got off to a quick start when Kim Hyun-soo hit to left, headed all the way to third base, and scored the first run when Austin’s foul fly to the right. 

In the top of the 8th inning, LG faced KT’s second pitcher, Son Dong-hyeon, and Shin Min-jae reached base with a walk, followed by a stolen base and advanced to third base due to an error by the opposing catcher. Kim Hyun-soo made a 2-0 lead with a timely hit to the right.  

In the top of the 9th inning, KT’s Kim Young-hyun allowed a walk to Kim Min-seong with two outs, and Jo Yi-hyun made it 3-0 for LG with Park Hae-min’s hit to left and Hong Chang-gi’s timely double to left. 

At the end of the 9th inning, LG led the victory by throwing 1⅔ innings the day before, and Woo-seok Ko came to the mound. However, lead batter Moon Sang-cheol allowed a double, and Jang Seong-woo allowed a timely hit in the middle left to concede. He seemed to take a breather by striking out Ahn Chi-young, but gave up a walk to Park Gyeong-soo and allowed a timely hit to Bae Jeong-dae above first and second base, allowing the team to chase by one run. 

Hwang Jae-gyun hit Go Woo-seok’s 5th pitch in the situation with the bases loaded with 2 outs. Moon Bo-kyung jumped to catch the high mound, but the ball hit Moon Bo-kyung’s glove and fell back, and the game ended with runner Kim Sang-soo hitting home on second base. 

After Hwang Jae-gyun’s hit, Ko Woo-seok rushes home and tries to defend.

Hwang Jae-gyun is happy after hitting a walk-off hit with two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Moon Bo-kyung sits down and does not move due to disappointment in defense.

LG Moon Bo-kyung lowers his head.

Out of disappointment, Moon Bo-kyung did not hesitate on the third base ground and did not get up for a while. He headed to the dugout while being comforted by his teammates.

LG starter Kelly pitched 7 innings with 2 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, and no runs, but unfortunately missed out on achieving 9 wins (7 losses) of the season due to the poor performance of the bullpen. 

Has my heart left? Is the injury serious? Curiosity surrounding Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels) is growing.

The match between the Los Angeles Angels and the Baltimore Orioles of the Major League Baseball (MLB) held at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA on the 6th. The Angels team took a group photo before the game.

There was also Shohei Otani wearing the number 17 at the event, but it was not the real Otani. Otani did not participate in the group photo shoot.메이저놀이터

Each MLB team takes a group photo at the end of the season like an annual event. Not only the players, but also club officials who worked hard together during the season attend to encourage each other and take commemorative photos.

Otani, who missed the previous day (5th) due to side pain, also appeared to attend the filming wearing the number 17.

However, according to local reporters, the man wearing the uniform with number 17 on it was completely different from Otani’s physique and face. The club used Ohtani as a stand-in. This man, who replaced Otani, left to avoid the reporters after finishing taking commemorative photos.

Photo = Getty Images
In some cases, the starting pitcher on the day does not participate in the group photo shoot for reasons such as conditioning, and a stand-in is used. However, unless there is a serious injury, it is common to attend.

A team official said, “Ohtani was unable to participate due to a side examination.”

Meanwhile, Ohtani, who will be eligible as a free agent after the end of this season, was left out of the starting lineup for two consecutive games against Baltimore on the 6th due to side pain. Pitcher Ohtani has been out of action since late August due to an elbow injury.

He bloomed late with extraordinary sincerity, but an unexpected slump hit and he had to give up his first FA rights in his life. I never thought there would be the ordeal of injury on top of that.

But there are no more trials. Samsung veteran outfielder Kim Heon-gon (35) is back. Samsung registered Kim Heon-gon as a first-team entry ahead of the game against Lotte held at Munsu Stadium in Ulsan on the 5th. Kim Heon-gon, who had disappeared due to a back injury, was finally named to the first team for the first time this season.메이저놀이터

Kim Heon-gon, who fully became a starting outfielder in 2017, his 7th year as a professional, had the best moment of his baseball life in 2018 when he appeared in 141 games and recorded a batting average of .300, 11 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. Kim Heon-gon, who had a batting average of .297 with 5 home runs, 46 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 2019, followed by a batting average of .248 with 3 home runs, 34 RBI, and 7 stolen bases in 2020, and a batting average of .281 with 4 home runs, 27 RBI, and 5 stolen bases in 2021, fell into the worst batting slump last year and his batting average dropped. He suffered the humiliation of only hitting .192 with 1 home run and 20 RBI. In particular, he was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight as he suffered the humiliation of being hitless in 43 consecutive at-bats. In the end, after the season ended, he was so shocked that he even gave up on applying for free agency.

But this time, there was the ordeal of injury. Kim Heon-gon, who had to focus on rehabilitation due to a back injury, was finally able to return to the first team in September. In the Futures League, the actual review has been completed after playing 5 games.

Samsung coach Park Jin-man did not spare encouragement to Kim Heon-gon, who returned to the first team after a long rehabilitation. Coach Park Jin-man said, “Kim Heon-gon has suffered a lot. He has undergone several procedures and had a long rehabilitation period.” He added, “Futures said his movements are good. He has done something for the team so far, and we need to think about next year as well. He needs to play for the last month and get a feel for it.” “I will do it,” he said. Coach Park Jin-man then added, “He is a player who shows very good defense and has excellent shoulder throw ability, so we will use him according to the situation.”

Kim Heon-gon came out as a pinch hitter in the top of the 9th inning on this day and made his return to the first team. The result was a fly out by the second baseman. He couldn’t get full from the first drink. Attention is being paid to when Kim Heon-gon, who has accumulated 600 hits in his career so far, will be able to hit his first hit on his return and the 601st hit in his career. His task for the remaining month is to fire off a signal of resurrection.

Meanwhile, Samsung excluded Kim Dong-yeop, a right-handed slugger, from the first team entry on the 4th. Manager Park Jin-man explained the reason for excluding Kim Dong-yup from the first-team entry, saying, “Kim Dong-yup was excluded from the first-team entry because we judged that he lacked a lot of sense when playing as a designated hitter or pinch hitter.” Kim Dong-yeop has a batting average of .264 with 5 home runs and 18 RBIs in 58 games this season, and the home run he hit against Sajik Lotte on June 28 remains his last home run this season.

The 2023 professional baseball regular season is already coming to an end. As unexpected variables continue to arise, the regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) landscape is fluctuating.

As of the 4th, 108 to 124 games have been played for each team in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League. With as few as 20 games and as many as 36 games left, it is no exaggeration to say that we have entered the final stages of the season.메이저사이트

However, the MVP landscape is still uncertain. To be precise, we can say that the MVP race has become completely mixed starting last week.

One of the strongest MVP candidates was Eric Peddie (NC). Peddie played as NC’s ace this season and showed off his ‘post-KBO level’ skills.

In particular, he broke various records, including the lowest ever game wins (12 games), 15 wins (19 games), a tie record, and the lowest ever wins against all clubs (10 teams, 15 games).

It is said that the number of wins is not possible only through the strength of the pitcher, but if the ERA is around 1 point, it is difficult to argue that he is a ‘special pitcher’. Peddie consistently maintained an ERA in the 1-point range until the second half of the season, raising expectations for an ERA in the 1-point range in regulation innings for the first time in 13 years since Ryu Hyun-jin (then Hanwha) in 2010.

It was clear that Peddy was the ‘No. 1 MVP’ as his role was essential in helping NC, which was classified in the lower tier before the season, compete in the mid-to-upper tier.

However, Pedi, which seemed like an impregnable fortress, collapsed last week. Peddie pitched his worst pitch of the season, allowing 7 runs in 3 innings against KIA on August 31st. The average ERA, which was 1.97 before this game, quickly soared to 2.39, and he became 3rd in the ERA rankings after Raul Alcantara (Doosan, 2.25) and Ahn Woo-jin (Kiwoom, 2.39).

In a situation where the rarity of an ERA in the 1-point range has disappeared and even the title of first place has disappeared, it is difficult to select Peddie as the ‘No. 1 MVP’.

Last week, another MVP candidate Ahn Woo-jin also left. Woojin Ahn was diagnosed with damage to the collateral ligament on the inside of his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery. It is a major surgery that inevitably requires a gap of at least a year.

Ahn Woo-jin is a pitcher who has not had much success this season, but has steadily done his part. He maintained an earned run average in the low 2-point range and, above all, ranked first in strikeouts (164 strikeouts). At this pace, he could have struck out 200 times for the first time in the league for two years in a row, following last year (224 strikeouts), so Ahn Woo-jin also seemed to be enough to be an MVP candidate.

However, he was ruled out for the season due to injury and essentially dropped out of the MVP race.

The MVP candidate who has emerged during this time is Hanwha’s ‘divine slugger’ Noh Si-hwan. Noh Si-hwan, who has been hitting home runs in the second half of the season, is leading the team in home runs and RBIs. Last week, he hit his 30th home run of the season, meeting the minimum qualifications as a slugger.

However, the fact that their team, Hanwha, is in the ‘bottom place’ is an obstacle. In the history of the KBO League, there were only two cases in which a team that did not make the postseason produced an MVP: Son Min-han (Lotte) in 2005 and Park Byeong-ho (Kiwoom) in 2012, but both times the team was not in last place.

Another variable is national team selection. Noh Si-hwan has been selected as a member of the national team for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and will not be able to play until the end of the season. In the meantime, he may lose out on titles such as home runs and RBIs, so he needs to widen the gap as much as possible before being selected.

If Noh Si-hwan maintains the lead in home runs and RBIs as the current situation continues, he could become a strong MVP candidate.

Of course, the season isn’t over yet, so he has to watch it until the end. If Peddie exerts himself at the end of the season and reaches an ERA of 1 point, the situation may change again. In addition, Doosan’s ace Alcantara and KT’s ace Go Young-pyo are also ‘potential candidates.’

There is no easy team. Even the last-place team shows competitiveness with a winning percentage of 40.19%, making it difficult to predict a battle for rankings until the end of the season.메이저사이트

In the three-game series last weekend, the top teams were caught by the bottom teams one after another, attracting attention. 1st place LG suffered a losing series with 2 losses after 1 win against 10th place Hanwha, and 2nd place KT was swept by 9th place Kiwoom by losing all three games in a row.

Hanwha is on the verge of being ranked 10th and last for four consecutive years, but it is clearly more competitive than the previous three years. This year’s winning percentage is .4199 (44 wins, 61 losses, 6 draws), which is noticeably higher than 2020 (.326), 2021 (.371), and 2022 (.324). Although they are one game behind Hanwha, Kiwoom (.421), ranked 9th in winning percentage by playing 13 more games, is also recording more than .421.

Throughout the 41 seasons of the KBO League until last year, the last team’s winning percentage has never exceeded .400 in 1983 Lotte (.434), 1989 Lotte (.434), 1991 OB (.413), 1998 Lotte (.410), and 2001. There were only 9 times, including Lotte (.457), Lotte (.410) in 2004, KIA (.408) in 2007, Hanwha (.408) in 2012, and NC (.406) in 2018.

This year, Hanwha is 11.5 games behind NC in 5th place and has lost the fall baseball season, but its winning percentage of .401/9 is the 4th highest among last-place teams in history. After Lotte in 2001 in the 2000s. Lotte, which finished in 8th place that year, had 59 wins, 70 losses, and 4 draws, the highest winning percentage (.457) for a last-place team ever, and was only two games behind Hanwha in fourth place.

In the 10 years since 2013, when the 9-10 team system became more polarized, there was only one last-place win rate of .400. However, this year, along with the overall leveling of power, the winning percentage of the last-place team has increased significantly, and the battle for rankings has become more exciting.

Every year around this time, teams that give up the season come out one by one and become targets for the top teams to win, but this year the atmosphere is different. Kiwoom, which has virtually tanked due to injuries to Lee Jeong-hoo and Ahn Woo-jin, has a justification for last place, but Hanwha has been in last place for four consecutive years and Samsung, ranked 8th, also wants to avoid last place for the first time since its founding.

Samsung, Kiwoom, and Hanwha, ranked 8th to 10th, are within 2 games of each other, so the fight to get out of last place is expected to be fierce until the end. The mid-to-high ranking teams, who are in a hurry to play each game due to fall baseball from 1st to 5th place, cannot relax their nerves just because they are low-ranking teams.

This week, Hanwha, ranked 10th, will play a 3-game home game against SSG, whose 3rd place position is also in jeopardy due to their recent 4 consecutive losses. 9th place Kiwoom goes to Changwon to face 5th place NC. Samsung, ranked 8th, meets Lotte, ranked 7th, in Ulsan, where there is still a glimmer of hope for fall baseball. Attention is being paid to whether it will be possible to sprinkle red pepper powder on the busy ranking competing teams.