Plan for 2023 without two lefties… Will Lotte find a solution to ‘left-handed batter’?
While the Lotte Giants are planning a mound without two left-handed pitchers, attention is focused on whether they will find a clue to targeting left-handed hitters.
Lotte left spring camp without Kim Yoo-young (LG Twins) and Kang Ri-ho (formerly Kang Yun-gu), who played as first-team left-handed bullpen pitchers last year. Kim Yoo-young wore an LG uniform as a compensation player for free agent (FA) catcher Yoo Kang-nam, and Kang Ri-ho, who exercised his FA rights, is still unsigned.
Of the 21 pitchers Lotte included in the camp roster, 4 are lefties. They are foreign pitchers Charlie Barnes, Cha Woo-chan, Kim Jin-wook, and rookie Lee Tae-yeon. Barnes and Kim Jin-wook are expected to play a part in the starting lineup or fight. Cha Woo-chan suffered from a shoulder injury last year. It would be icing on the cake if he regained his past skills, but since this year is his first season after rehabilitation, full-time digestion is not easy. We cannot have excessive expectations for Lee Tae-yeon, a rookie. 카지노
Last year, Lotte pitchers were weak against left-handed hitters. The batting average (0.282, 10th) and OPS (0.745, 7th) against left-handed hitters are higher than the batting average (0.265, 9th) and OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage, 0.715, 8th) against right-handers. It was difficult to see that Kim Yoo-young and Kang Ri-ho also had strengths against left-handed hitters. Kim Yoo-young’s left-handed hitter (0.336 0.879) and right-handed hitter (0.329 0.896) opponent records were similar. Kang Ri-ho was stronger against right-handers (0.240, 0.681) than left-handers (0.297, 0.713).
If the goal is to find a left-handed hitter strategy, it is also a way to look more broadly. The club also doesn’t think it is necessary to have a lefty to catch a lefty hitter. One pitcher said, “Even right-handed players have strong weapons against left-handed hitters. He said, “Wouldn’t it be better for a pitcher who is strong against that type of hitter to throw with any hand?”
This year, pitchers who will share their know-how are with them. Kim Sang-soo, who transferred this winter, is one of them. Kim Sang-soo’s career batting average against left-handed hitters is 0.261, and his OPS is 0.702. It was stronger than against right-handers (0.268 0.784). In 2016, when he was a Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom), he was very strong with a batting average of 0.227 and OPS of 0.620 against left-handed hitters. If you still have vivid memories of fooling left-handed hitters with a forkball and changeup, it is positive for the Lotte mound.