Which professional baseball team will fly as hard as possible in the year of Gapjin (辰) when the blue dragon is soaring.
In 2024, the KBO League will enter the regular season race with a total of 720 games, 144 games per team, on the 23rd. The KBO League, which will open in March for the first time in five years since 2019, is expected to face a fiercer ranking battle than any other year. Analysts say that teams that failed to advance to the postseason last year succeeded in reinforcing their players throughout the winter, leading to the equalization of their power. Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) returned to Korea for the first time in 12 years, and major prospects stood out in exhibition games, making it richer to see.
▶A candidate for the 5th round, or the 3rd round without a disagreement
Among the top five candidates selected by six baseball commentators, the LG Twins, KIA Tigers, and KT Wiz were consistent. All six of them included three teams in the list of candidates for the top five. “LG still has an atmosphere in which it won the overall title last year. It also seems that it will be in the top ranks thanks to (coach Yeom Kyung-yeop’s) strategy baseball,” said Park Jeong-kwon, a commentator for MBC Sports Plus. LG, which won the overall title for the first time in 29 years last year, is highly confident in its players. The team also has a solid structure, including recruitment of foreign ace Detrick Ens. “Despite the absence of closing pitcher Ko Woo-seok (who advanced to the U.S. Major League), his interim fighting skills still remain strong compared to other teams. Major hitters (including Oh Ji-hwan and Park Dong-won) are also not leaving the team,” said Yang Sang-moon, a commentator for Spotify.
Attention is also focusing on whether Kia will rebound or not. Kia, which ranked sixth last year, is considered a likely winner. “Two foreign pitchers (James Nail and Will Crow) will be better than last year’s,” KBS N Sports commentator Yoon Hee-sang said. “Younger bullpen pitchers like Choi Ji-min and Jung Hae-young are expected to improve, too. There is no need to mention offense. They have no time to rest if there are no injuries.” SBS Sports commentator Lee Soon-cheol said, “The depth of fielders in KIA has become very thick. The newly recruited foreign pitcher did not falter and played his role,” adding, “The team is very difficult to deal with because of its stable starting pitcher and bullpen, not only batting but also maneuverability.”
KT has also been categorized as one of the best players to play in fall baseball. “KT has many proven pitchers, so we are looking forward to seeing it again this year,” said Lee Dong-hyun, commentator of Spotify. “KT has the best overall sense of stability.” “KT has left the team, but Kim Min-soo has returned from injury. All of the starting pitchers are players who can take charge of seven innings, so we can form a team with two to three players in the must-win group,” he said. “If Rojas returns to the lineup and Kang Baek-ho recovers his skills, it will be a scary team.”
▶ Hanwha is full of ‘Ryu Hyunjin effect’… What about other dark horses?
Five of the six commentators chose Hanwha as the strongest five. Hanwha’s last fall baseball was in 2018. Last year, it ranked ninth, trailing the fifth-ranked Doosan Bears by 14 games. “With Ryu Hyun-jin, who is clearly the big name, back, it is time to see at least the fifth round and beyond. I expect a halo effect rather than just one Ryu Hyun-jin taking the mound,” said Park Jeong-kwon, a member of the committee. “I think Ryu’s confidence that he can win when he takes the mound, know-how to pass on to his juniors, and the atmosphere will serve as a positive factor.”
“With Ryu Hyun-jin’s arrival, Ryu Hyun-jin stabilized the starting lineup, and players’ experiences have been gained over the past three to four years,” Yang Sang-moon, a member of the committee, voiced similar opinions. “Without Ryu Hyun-jin, it would not be easy (to be included in the top five candidates) but I think there will be an effect of Ryu Hyun-jin,” said Lee Soon-cheol, a member of the committee. “I thought that even if Ryu Hyun-jin did not come, he would be close to winning 50 percent. Now that Ryu has returned, he has advanced to the top five.”
Doosan and Lotte Giants were selected as the teams that will compete for one spot in the semifinals. “Doosan’s two foreign pitchers (Raul Alcantara, Brandon Waddell) are strong,” Yoon Hee-sang, a member of the committee, said. “I think Korean ace Kwak Bin will also fill the required innings this year,” adding, “With rookie Kim Taek-yeon joining the team, I can clearly see the power of the bullpen. The fielders were a strong team, but the team’s strength improved as the pitching staff stabilized.”
Opinions were divided over Lotte. “Two main players (Han Dong-hee and Kim Min-seok) were injured, making it difficult to predict,” Lee Dong-hyun said, but Yang Sang-moon predicted, “There were many internal changes (such as the appointment of Kim Tae-hyung) and I think his performance will increase as well.”
▶MVP unpredictable, Rookie of the Year pays attention to Kim Taek-yeon
All commentators were reluctant to become MVP. “I think it’s going to be a complete chaos. I can’t think of anyone’s name. Ryu Hyun-jin also put his evaluation on hold, saying, “I doubt whether Ryu will be able to win 10 to 15 games because Hanwha’s fielder Debs is not superior to his opponent.” Yang Sang-moon also drew a firm line, saying, “It’s ambiguous to choose.” Given that he is not injured, some predict that he needs to watch last year’s home run king Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha) performance.
The race for the Rookie of the Year is also in the fog. This year’s KBO League is full of promising players including Hwang Joon-seo, Jeon Mir (Lotte), and Kim Taek-yeon (Doosan). The most mentioned name was definitely Kim Taek-yeon. Kim Taek-yeon showed good pitching at exhibition games, impressing Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop. “He has a fastball that is hard for batters to hit even though they know it. His top-down movement is so good,” Yoon Hee-sang, a member of the committee, said. “I think he will make 20 holds or saves at least.” Chung Min-cheol, a member of the committee, also predicted Kim Taek-yeon’s potential for the Rookie of the Year award, saying, “I like his technology, and he has amazing ball power and guts.” 안전놀이터