After losing 14 kilograms of weight over the winter, underhanded pitcher Park Jong-hoon (33-SSG Landers) has been struggling to rebound. As his strikeouts have decreased, his home runs have increased, and he’s once again hanging his head in shame.
In his last start against the NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park on April 7, Park gave up seven runs on seven hits (three homers) and two walks in four innings, striking out six and walking one. Park suffered his second loss in two games as SSG fell to 1-10 on the season. His ERA is 10.50.
In his first start against the Hanwha Eagles in Munhwa last month,
Park took the loss after allowing one run (unearned) on six hits and six walks with two strikeouts in two innings. A wild pitch in the first inning led to the game-winning run. In the second inning, he didn’t allow a run, but three walks shook his command. 바카라사이트 He walked the first batter of the third inning and was immediately pulled. Of his 59 pitches, he threw more balls (35) than strikes (24).
The ABS (Automatic Pitch Recognition System), which was introduced this year, is on the low side, which puts submarine pitchers like Park at a disadvantage because they have a low release point and throw near the batter’s knees. Unlike in previous years, balls that were slightly outside or low were judged as balls by the ABS because they did not pass through the back of the head.
After being sent down to the second team, Park adjusted to the LG Twins Futures team on the 2nd, pitching 5 innings with 5 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, and 2 runs. He returned to the first team in time for his start against the NC on the 7th, but the results were not much different.
His pitches were different.
Unlike against Hanwha, he kept the ball in the strike zone and reduced his walks to two in four innings. The frustration with my pitches was relieved to a certain extent, but I couldn’t get the batters to hit them. When I put it in the middle, hitters easily took advantage of it. He only allowed three home runs.
In the second inning, Kim Sung-wook took a two-seam fastball from Park Jong-hoon for a two-run homer to left field. In the third, Park Min-woo hit a three-pitch fastball over the wall for a solo shot to right. In the bottom of the inning, Matt Davidson took a five-pitch curveball over the wall in left field for a solo shot.
Once one of baseball’s most dominant submarine pitchers, Park has been on a downward spiral since undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in June 2021. While he was rehabbing, he became the first non-free agent to sign a multi-year contract alongside fellow right-hander Moon Seung-won (five years, 6.5 billion won) in December of that year, but has struggled since his return in July 2022.
When he went 3-5 with a 6.00 ERA in 11 games (48 innings) in 2022, it was considered a bounce-back season. However, he had his worst season last year, going 2-6 with a 6.19 ERA in 18 games (80 innings). He walked 60 batters in 80 innings, or 6.75 batters per nine innings. His weaknesses were highlighted by a lack of command of his pitches and a slow slide step that made him easy prey for runners.
He spent three trips to the second level but never rebounded.
He didn’t make the 35-man disabled list in the second round of the postseason draft, and no team took him due to his high salary. His pride was bruised, and he was devastated, losing 14 kilograms of weight before this season. “I wasted two years of my life, so I have to get back to it,” he said, and he prepared for the season with a lot of determination, but it didn’t pay off. Changes in the environment, such as the trial of ABS and pitch clocks that don’t grip the low side of the ball, and increased ball rebound, are also working against him.
Park has three more years left on his contract with SSG until 2026, including this year. As a high-paid player, the club has to utilize him in some way, but it’s not easy. 안전 토토사이트 His remaining salary is a sunk cost. However, keeping him in the starting rotation is also a burden in terms of opportunity cost for a team that is in the process of gradual generational change. It’s hard to come to a clear conclusion right now, and it’s likely that SSG’s concerns about Park Jong-hoon will deepen.