The Hanwha Eagles once boasted one of the most potent offenses in the KBO. When their “dynamite batting lineup” was on, they were nothing to be afraid of, but it’s a scene that’s long been dormant in fans’ memories. Over the past few years, Hanwha has been one of the most anemic offenses in the KBO.
Last season, the team batted .245 with 메이저놀이터 1,096 hits, 88 home runs, 564 runs scored, and an OPS of .638. They ranked last among the 10 KBO teams in batting average, home runs, hits, and runs scored. From 2020 to last year, the team finished 10th in batting average for three consecutive years.
This year is also very frustrating. As of the 12th, the team is 2-for-33. They are at the bottom of the division. That’s well below the league average of 2.056.
After hovering in the low 2.2s, the team has been hitting better lately and is now in the 2.3s. His batting average in scoring position is also dead last at 2.2.
The team has struggled with foreign bats this year. Brian O’Grady, who was brought in with the hopes of providing some power, is batting 1-for-2 with no home runs (10 in 80 at-bats), eight doubles, 40 strikeouts, and a .337 OPS.
O’Grady’s replacement, a foreign hitter, is still up in the air. O’Grady last appeared in a first-team game on May 18. It’s been more than 10 days since O’Grady was claimed off waivers, but the team hasn’t been able to find a bat to help the offense.
On May 11, Choi Won-ho said, “Even if a foreign hitter comes in, I don’t think it will change the lineup. Of course, the mound is important, but scoring runs will make the pitcher and defense more comfortable. Next season, I think we should consider using two batters out of three foreign players,” he said, expressing his concern about the weak batting lineup.
We had a similar discussion last season. Last year, Hanwha didn’t have a single third baseman. The team has been rebuilding for more than two years, but it hasn’t paid off. No one has been able to establish themselves as a mainstay through the rebuild. Noh Si-hwan, who has been playing center field this season, was a 2019 second-round pick. He was a promising prospect from the start.
In the absence of a strong foreign pitcher, we considered using two foreign hitters, but ultimately went with two pitchers. Butch Smith and O’Grady, who was removed after throwing 60 pitches in 2⅔ innings. The truth is, picking foreign players is a bit of a lottery, and there are no guarantees of success.
If the batting slump continues throughout the season, I may decide to go with a two-hitter, one-pitcher approach.
