Refer Report

No longer in last place. Professional baseball team Hanwha finished the regular season this year with 144 games, 66 wins, 2 draws, and 76 losses (winning rate of 0.465). As of the 30th, the ranking is 8th, and the final ranking may change depending on the result of the Changwon Lotte-NC game on the 1st. If Lotte loses to NC, Hanwha will finish the 2024 season in 7th place.

Hanwha has failed to participate in the fall festival for six consecutive years since 2018. Looking for results amidst successive failures, Hanwha, which ranked last for three consecutive years (2020-2022), rose from the bottom last year (9th) and slightly improved its ranking this year as well.

We have confirmed that more changes are needed to cross the fall threshold. Hanwha, which succeeded in strengthening its power by recruiting Ryu Hyun-jin and Ahn Chi-hong, raised confident slogans such as ‘Rebuilding is over’ and ‘Different us’ ahead of the 2024 season. It really seemed like the beginning. Hanwha briefly took the lead with 8 wins and 2 losses in the opening 10 games. Hanwha, which was ‘sparkling’ at this time, collapsed in April and hit rock bottom on May 23rd. Four days later, on the 27th, Hanwha dismissed coach Choi Won-ho and then appointed coach Kim Gyeong-moon on June 2. Although they made the decision to change the head coach midway through the season, the original goal of playing fall baseball ended up being canceled.

Under Coach Kim’s regime, Hanwha continued the fight for 5th place until the last minute. However, the limitations of power could not be overcome. The only pitcher in the starting lineup who met the required number of innings was Ryu Hyun-jin, who is in his late 30s. The only pitcher who has played consistently in the bullpen for one season is closer Hyeonsang Joo. Among the batters who filled the required at-bats, Ahn Chi-hong is the only one with a batting average of over .300. Center hitters Noh Si-hwan and Chae Eun-seong’s performance declined compared to last year, and Jonathan Peraza’s batting skills, which were so lively at the beginning of the opening season, gradually cooled down. As a result, there was an absolute lack of players who could ‘constant’ their power in terms of pitching and batting.

From the point where fall baseball was gradually becoming more distant, Coach Kim began to discover resources that could be utilized next year. Young outfielders such as Choi In-ho, Lee Jin-young, and Kwon Kwang-min were given opportunities more often than before. Coach Kim recently said, “We need to create an atmosphere of competition. “In addition to group training, you have to practice on your own in an unseen place to truly have something of your own,” he said. “I hope young people will work harder.” “Only by sweating like that can you develop the strength to stand up again when you are struggling,” he emphasized.

Coach Kim, who took the helm midway through the season, early announced high-intensity training after the end of the 2024 season. From finishing training to spring camp, the main theme this winter appears to be defense. This season, Hanwha ranked 8th in the league in defensive efficiency, which is an indicator of the percentage of balls in play that are out, with 0.649. Coach Kim, who also emphasized the importance of the bullpen, said, “We have created a winning team to some extent, but our task is to create a bullpen that can fight even in chasing situations.”

Although they excitedly called for the end of rebuilding, Hanwha needed more time. Hanwha will once again challenge fall baseball at its new stadium, Baseball Dream Park (tentative name), in the 2025 season.

Source: Korean