The pillars of the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization in recent years have been Park Se-woong (29) on the pitching staff and Jeon Jun-woo (38) at the plate.
Park is a homegrown ace who has consistently anchored the starting rotation. From 2020 to last year, he pitched four consecutive injury-free seasons and three seasons of 150 innings or more starting in 2021. In the four years since 2020, he ranks third in innings pitched and first in total innings pitched (621⅔).
Jun-woo Jeon is also getting older, but his production at the plate has been consistent. He has been one of the most consistent hitters in the league since 2020. In the last four seasons, he’s tied for second in hits (646) and tied for fourth in RBIs (333).
Even though Lotte’s performance was constantly hovering around the bottom of the standings, he was the player who kept Lotte’s hopes alive. They are now the symbols of the club. Park Se-woong was recognized for his value as a homegrown ace and signed a five-year, 9 billion won non-free agent contract. It was a first for the club.
Jeon Jun-woo also signed a relatively modest four-year, 3.4 billion won contract ahead of the 2020 season. He outperformed his four-year deal and stayed on for a second four-year, 4.7 billion won contract ahead of this season.
However, Park Se-woong and Jeon Jun-woo, two of the team’s former stalwarts, were not part of the team’s upswing that began in May. Since May, Lotte has gone 27-21 with a .563 winning percentage, ranking third in the league in that span.
The team has gone from last place to a top-five threat.
Park went 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA in the first four games of May. Up until this point, his season had been excellent, with a 5-3 record and a 3.59 ERA in 10 games.
That all changed on May 28 against Hanwha in Daejeon. After a humiliating 4⅔ innings of 10 runs (9 earned) on 11 hits (1 home run) with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts in 4⅔ innings, he lost his composure. Park hasn’t been able to find his groove since suffering a terrible jinx against Hanwha in Daejeon. As of today, he is 1-3 with an 8.17 ERA in seven games.
In the seven games Park has pitched since Daejeon against Hanwha, 카지노사이트 추천 the team has won three and lost four, but the bats have been the difference in most of those games. In his last start of the first half, on May 3 against Doosan in Jamsil, he was unable to hold off an early six-run rally from the bats, allowing six runs on eight hits (one home run) with two walks and four strikeouts in four innings, and the team lost.
Jeon was placed on the disabled list on May 17 with a calf tendon strain. He stayed healthy and was one of the team’s most productive players before the injury, batting .903 with seven home runs, 31 RBIs, and 50 runs scored in 159 at-bats. The team had just started to turn things around, but they were on the verge of an upswing.
While many predicted that Jeon would be missed, Lotte filled the void with a surge of young players.
While Jeon’s presence will be missed, the actual firepower was more than imagined. As the younger players settled in, they gained confidence and showed it with their scoring prowess. This translated into results.
Joon-woo didn’t return until June 26, as his recovery from injury was slower than expected. Since his return, Jeon has yet to regain his form. In five games, he’s batting just 1-for-5 (3-for-19). Whether it’s the aftermath of his injury or a lack of practice, it’s hard to tell. Jeon Jun-woo should be able to capitalize on the upward momentum created by the other players, but not yet.
With Park Sae-woong struggling and Jeon Jun-woo out of the picture, Lotte’s entire team chemistry is changing. With Kim Tae-hyung at the helm, the team has become more dynamic and aggressive. Recently, Park hasn’t been as aggressive on the mound and Jeon hasn’t been as dynamic as his younger counterparts.
Still, they are experienced players. They have the experience and resilience to get back on track. Even if they’ve been struggling lately, they can always bounce back and do their job. They know where they fit in the team and what their role is. Park Se-woong will have to step up his game now that the homegrown starting lineup is virtually broken. Jeon Jun-woo may not be as dynamic as the younger players, but he has one shot to change the tide.
However, he needs to cut down on the time it takes to get back to his best. As Lotte prepares to mount a second-half comeback, they can’t afford to let their stalwarts get in the way.