“Still, it’s a decent one-two punch.”
토스카지노One of Hanwha’s biggest rewards this year is that they have a solid 1-3 starting lineup after Butch Smith’s departure. Felix Peña, Ricardo Sanchez, and Dong-ju Moon. Moon is the next great homegrown ace in the mold of Hyun-jin Ryu (Toronto Blue Jays).
Peña and Sanchez are the big ones. Even though they didn’t lead their team to a top-five finish, the Peña/Sanchez combo doesn’t look bad at all when you look at all 10 clubs’ foreign pitchers as a whole, 1-2 starters. In 24 games this season, Peña is 8-8 with a 3.39 ERA, .219 batting average, and 1.15 WHIP in 138 innings pitched. His 2.87 WAR ranks 11th among pitchers and 29th in the league, according to Baseball-Reference. He ranks sixth in WHIP and seventh in innings pitched.
Peña/MyDaily
Sanchez, who replaced Smith in the rotation, is 6-5 with a 3.63 ERA, .271 batting average, and 1.29 WHIP in 91⅔ innings pitched in 17 games this season. The two foreign pitchers have combined for a 14-13 record in 41 games and 229⅔ innings pitched. These aren’t spectacular numbers, but they’re a decent enough one-two punch.
For starters, both are competitive in terms of velocity. Peña averages 146.1 mph and tops out at 147-148 mph. It’s not a very fast ball, but it’s not a slow ball either. Sanchez is a lefty who averages 148.5 kilometers. He can easily hit 150 mph. Peña has a two-seam changeup, slider, and curve, while Sanchez mixes in a changeup, slider, and curve.
Sanchez/MyDaily
The weaknesses are in the details. Before the 25th game against the Gwangju KIA, Choi Won-ho said, “Peña gives up walks when he suddenly can’t get his pitches into the strike zone. Sanchez gets a lot of hits after 80 pitches because of the surge of pitches up the middle.”
But the general consensus is that there are more positives than negatives. The general consensus is that Peña has a quality fastball. In particular, his changeup is one of the best in the country. His BABIP is 0.145 according to Statistic. That’s down from last year’s 0.150. He has a moving fastball and a good command of the game. Basically, he goes six or seven innings.
He gave up five runs in the fourth inning of the game on June 25, but that was largely because he lost his normal pace after his hand bled while throwing a slider, but he still took responsibility for finishing the inning. On June 27, he also had blood on his hand against KT, but he pitched seven innings and allowed one run (unearned).
Fanya/MyDaily
Sanchez’s ability to hit 150 mph is a weapon in itself. His control, command, and fastball are relatively poor. However, a power analyst from another club called him “quite intimidating.” Crucially, he throws this fastball toward the body, but it can be a little too centered and hit, but it’s untouchable on scratch days. He has a lot of potential to improve as he gains experience in the KBO.
Choi Won-ho said, “If you’re a foreign pitcher, you need to have at least 25 wins between the two of you and throw more than 180 innings. That’s six innings in 30 games. It’s even better if their ERA is in the mid-3s.” Peña and Sanchez don’t fit that bill. However, it would be interesting to see their data if they play full-time next year. Good foreign pitchers are getting harder to find. In many ways, Peña and Sanchez are a good combination that doesn’t look like a bottom-of-the-barrel one-two punch.
Sanchez/MyDaily