“I think I gave up my greed for restraint.”
SBS Sports commentator Lee Soon-chul,꽁머니지급 who relayed the match between KIA and Hanwha in Gwangju on the 5th, said that Han Seung-hyeok (30) seems to have completely abandoned his desire for arrest. In fact, from the last minute of his KIA days, Han Seung-hyuk pledged to compete with accuracy, timing, and game management skills rather than restraint.
The Hanwha uniform changed after the trade with Byun Woo-hyeok. Hanwha tried to transform Han Seung-hyuk into a bullpen pitcher and let him reach his potential at the age of 30. However, baseball does not work out as intended. This year, he prepared to become a starting pitcher again as he failed to settle into the thicker Hanwha Pilseungye Tujo.
From the end of June, I got a chance as a starting pitcher. However, he never crossed the 4th inning wall. In the case of Kiwoom on June 17, it is his first start of the season, so it seems that the pitch count build-up was less. He actually pitched well with 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 run even though he only pitched 3 innings. On June 22, against his parent KIA, he threw 4 innings, 1 hit, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks and no runs.
However, on June 28, KT was shaken with 8 hits, 2 strikeouts and 4 runs in 3 innings. After that, on July 25, a month later, against Kiwoom, he only allowed 3 runs in 2 innings, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, 3 walks. On July 30, against SSG, it was okay with 4 innings, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 1 run, but on the 5th, against Gwangju KIA, it was sluggish again with 6 hits, 3 strikeouts, 4 walks and 4 runs in 3 innings.
5.77 ERA with 2 losses and 1 hold without a win in 20 games this season. But in a way, he didn’t even have a terribly sluggish game. If you digest a little more innings, you are curious about what results will come out. In fact, commentator Kim Tae-hyeong also said, “I gave the score, but there is a sense of stability.”
He gave up a big inning in the first inning and was greatly shaken. Pitching focused on fastballs did not work against the KIA lineup, which was in good condition. However, he blocked the second and third innings well. The pitch design has changed. In the 2nd inning, the slider game against the right-handed hitter stood out, and in the 3rd inning, he gave up 2 walks, but took the timing with a curveball and did not concede. However, in the 4th inning, the same pattern was followed, and it was clear that the 1st and 2nd bases were in danger.
Now, with Min-jae Jang out of the Hanwha starting lineup, Seo-hyun Kim joins. Han Seung-hyeok seizes more opportunities for the time being. Director Choi Won-ho believes that Han Seung-hyeok should not be satisfied with simply abandoning his greed for redemption. He said that he had to open his eyes a little more to run the game in order to be reborn as a starting pitcher.
Prior to the game on the 5th, coach Choi Won-ho said, “Seung-hyeok is fragile and has a stubborn style. He obviously has a lot of balls coming into the strike zone. His control has always been a problem since his KIA days, but his control has improved a lot.” However, he said, “I’m not good at ball combinations.”
He hoped to make sure off-speed pitches with the curve. Like the 2nd time today. Director Choi said, “The fastball, fork, and slider have similar trajectories, so even if you have a good ball, you can hit it. He has a better curve than I thought, but his utilization is very low. An average of the second half of 140km is available, and if you increase the utilization of curves, you can throw competitively. Now that I’m over 30, it’s time to open my eyes to management.”
Improving game management does not simply mean ever-changing pitch design. Director Choi said, “You have to see the reaction of the batters as well. How do I mix my weapons and which way do I throw them? You have to think about it. My pitching has improved a lot, and my two-seam is good, but I can’t mix it well.”
He shows himself as a starting pitcher, but he always falls short. Only when you jump over this stage can you become a full-time starting pitcher and increase your value. He is no longer young enough to be considered a promising player. Han Seung-hyuk struggles to increase his average. First of all, it is urgent to escape from 0 wins for a change of mood.