On the plus side, they’re holding up well. On the other hand, it can be interpreted as ‘weak explosive power’. We’re talking about Doosan not being able to capitalize on the upswing.
At 38% of the season, Doosan has two more wins than their 5% chance of winning. There are ups and downs, but they are stuck around the 5% win rate. They swept a three-game series against Hanwha in Jamsil on the 6th, but only got one win against KIA on the weekend. With momentum, they could have been in contention for the top three. However, the starting lineup collapsed early and lost momentum.
Doosan foreign pitcher Alcantara pitches against the Hanwha Eagles during the 2023 KBO Baseball Game between the Doosan Bears and Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Stadium on Aug. 8. By Kang Young-jo 토토사이트
If you want to play a long season, you have to hit when you hit. When you narrow it down to one game, it’s like losing a game if you don’t score when you need to score. The defense still has some veteran strength, but given that the batting cycle hasn’t exactly been on an upward curve, the team will have to rely more on its pitching this year than on its bats.
Doosan’s team ERA of 4.11 is seventh in the league. Neither Kiwoom (3.55) nor KIA (3.69) have a team ERA in the sub-3 range. Turning to the starters, the numbers aren’t as bad. They rank fourth overall with a 3.73 ERA, but only eighth in innings pitched with 284.2.
Doosan sidearm Choi Won-jun pitches in the first inning of the 2023 KBO Baseball Game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the Doosan Bears at Gocheok Sky Dome on Saturday. By Kang Young-jo kanjo@sportsseoul.com
Only Raul Alcantara hasn’t missed a rotation, and he’s the only pitcher to break 70 innings. With the team having played 55 games, a starter would have to make at least 10 starts, and even if he only lasted five innings per start, that’s 50 innings. Aside from Alcantara, no other pitcher in the Doosan lineup has thrown more than 50 innings.
A starting pitcher’s win percentage below 5% is a sign of weakness. Even before the opening day, Dylan Pyle was shut down after taking a hit to the head, and the trusted Young Gun Kwak-Bin was in and out of the lineup with back pain. Choi Won-jun also struggled with poor run support and poor pitches, while Choi Seung-yong and Kim Dong-joo showed their inexperience. It’s safe to say that Alcantara is the only reliable starter.
Brandon Waddell, Doosan’s replacement foreign pitcher. Photo courtesy of the Doosan Bears
After releasing Dillon, the Bears signed Brandon Waddell as a replacement foreign pitcher and he is scheduled to arrive in Korea on the 16th. He’s scrambling to find a flight, but if he’s healthy, he could start pitching on the 20th. Waddell pitched well last year, going 5-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 11 starts, and he’s been in the rotation full-time in Taiwan this year, so that’s something to look forward to. If he can stay healthy and pitch 5-6 innings a game, it will make the bullpen easier to manage.
With Lee Young-ha and Chung Chul-won in the bullpen, Park Chi-guk, Kim Myung-shin, and Park Shin-ji can be utilized as stoppers or long relievers. This means that they can support their young starters who may have struggled in the summer league.
Doosan pitcher Lee Young-ha pitches in the eighth inning against Hanwha in the 2023 KBO League at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on June 6. By Seung-seop Choi thunder@sportsseoul.com
When the mound calculations are made, the focus of the batters also changes. Doosan, in particular, is a team that is led by players with a lot of championship experience, which means it has a foundation that won’t be easily shaken. The impact of a ‘healthy replacement foreign pitcher’ on a team is much bigger than you might think. Doosan is looking forward to this.