‘4G ERA 5.59’ for Lotte’s Na Kyun-ahn… 1 win not allowed
One win. It doesn’t come easy.
Lotte Giants right-hander Na Gyun-ahn (26) was denied his first win of the season again. Na took the loss against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Thursday, giving up five runs on nine hits (one home run) with one walk and two strikeouts in three innings.
He is winless in four games this season with a 5.59 ERA in three losses. On March 27, he took the loss against the Gwangju Kia Tigers, giving up six runs (three earned) on seven hits, three walks and four strikeouts in five innings. He bounced back on March 2 against the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles, allowing four runs on six hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks in six innings.
However, his two games this week were a nightmare. He gave up four runs on eight hits, seven walks, and three strikeouts in 5.1 innings against the Samsung Lions in Busan on Sept. 9, and continued his string of bad outings to take the loss. The detailed metrics are just as bad. He has a 2.02 WHIP and a .337 batting average.
Na went 6-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 23 games last year. He led Lotte’s sparkling start to the season, becoming the team’s native ace. He was praised for his rapid development in just three years as a pitcher. His main weapon, the forkball, had a lot of power. He also had the command to throw strikes and induce walks.
This year, however, his forkball lost a lot of power. This season, I’ve reduced the percentage of forkballs, which is hard on my arm, and I’m using a lot of cutters, which I rarely used last year. But I’m still not having fun. According to baseball stats site Statize, his batting average this season is 0.310 with his fastball, 0.444 with his cutter, and 0.350 with his forkball.
On this particular day, his fastball topped out at 147 mph, followed by his forkball, cutter, and curve. He hasn’t changed his pitch design in any major way. Out of 86 pitches, he threw 51 strikes. It’s not that he can’t throw strikes, but if he’s getting hit 사설토토 so often, he needs to think about it.
Of course, Na Gyun-ahn is currently embroiled in a domestic dispute. It’s true that it’s hard for him to focus on baseball because he’s in the middle of a court battle. However, personal affairs are personal affairs, and baseball is baseball. You have to take care of yourself. With the team at the bottom of the standings, it’s important for each player to pull together.
Furthermore, the objective power of Lotte’s bats this year is below league average. In the pregame meeting, manager Kim Tae-hyung also sympathized with the starting pitchers who are not getting enough support from the bats. In any case, the core pitchers need to work harder. It’s also true that it’s not a performance worthy of Na Gyun-ahn.