Can Moon Dong-ju come into the opening rotation... It's worth persevering, "we shouldn't be in a hurry."
Can Moon Dong-ju come into the opening rotation... It's worth persevering, "we shouldn't be in a hurry."
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Analysts say the starting lineup of the Hanwha Eagles is a candidate who can compete for the strongest position in the league this season. Given the value of his name, he is a very strong candidate. He has recruited legendary pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin (a total of 17 billion won for eight years) ahead of the 2024 season, and Eom Sang-baek (a total of 7.8 billion won for four years) who is expected to win 10 games ahead of the 2025 season.
There are variables in the foreign pitchers' side, but not all of them are freshmen who have to open the lid at all. He renewed his contract with Ryan Weiss, who showed impressive pitching in the second half of last year. If Weiss is kept constant to a certain extent, he will not lose out to other teams when considering he is a second foreign starter. On top of that, Cody Ponce, a pitching pitcher with a pitching cap that was recruited ahead of this season, has been a resource that not only Hanwha but also other KBO league teams have been paying attention to. Chances are high that he will not be lagging behind in foreigners' one-two punch.카지노사이트
The key, then, is the five starters. Other teams that have strong starting pitchers are also agonizing over whether to select five starters. It is hard to find a team that has fully selected up to five starters. Hanwha can be competitive in the competition between the strongest starters because it has theoretical room for the five starters to be strong. Moon Dong-ju (22), the best fireballer in the league and an active player in the national team, is holding out. If Moon ventures his potential, Hanwha can retain the best rotation in the KBO league and secure a native ace following Ryu. He is also a player of very important strategic value in terms of team continuity.
Moon Dong-ju, the only 160-km starting pitcher in the league, had eight wins and eight losses with a 3.72 ERA in 23 games in 2023, indicating his potential. However, he was hampered by poor performance in the first half of last year, when much anticipation was high. Although he showed better performance in the second half, he only had seven wins and seven losses with a 5.17 ERA in 21 games. This was an ordinary five-star performance, which fell short of the expectations of Moon Dong-ju.
Amid desperate efforts, Moon's 2025 pace is not so fast. He also suffered injury in the first half of last year, and his physical condition was not good at the end of this season. Hence, he could not afford to go to the Premier 12 national team held after the season. The situation was not right to throw the ball normally. Hanwha is also cautious. Since Moon had shoulder pain issues at the end of last year's season, it closely monitors his physical condition. If he is not at all good, he will stop immediately. Immediately is important, but he has to shoulder the future of the team.
As a result, the team finished the first Australian camp with fewer pitches than other players and failed to secure conditions for actual matches. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon is not in a hurry, however. Joining the opening rotation is not the problem, but it is more important that Moon systematically pulls himself up to finish the entire season in normal condition. "Moon made three pitches. We have to wait a little longer," Kim persevered during the meeting with the Australian team.
Head coach Kim added, "We're not in a hurry, but we're trying to shake off a little more and wait a little longer until we throw as much as we want." As Moon Dong-ju is still burdened with the shoulder injury issue at the end of last year, I think he gives enough time. Manager Kim predicted, "So if Moon Dong-ju is a little late, Lee Sang-kyu or another player could enter the 5th starting line first."
In the first camp in Australia, most of the main players focused on training rather than games. However, from the second camp in Okinawa, all players will play as normal. Moon's first practice game is highly likely to be later than other players. However, the important thing is the last of the season. Hanwha expects to display better pitching and physical condition at the end of this season, even if it is a little late. What Hanwha and Moon need now is patience and long-term perspective.