The weight of defense in all sports is absolute. The common sports adage that ‘Defense wins the championships’ emphasizes its importance. 안전놀이터
KIA head coach Kim Jong-guk emphasized, “For KIA to become a strong team, the defense must be stronger.” At the same time, he said, “I will focus on strengthening the pitching power as well as strengthening the points that were lacking last year, such as defense, base hits, and sacrifice hits.” It is a baseball hall worthy of an infielder. KIA’s defense in the 2022 season is 8th in the KBO League with 107 errors. it is a sub
However, compared to other sports such as soccer, basketball, American football, and ice hockey, baseball is not absolute in defense. Of course, if the defense is good, there is no doubt that you will achieve above-average grades. Teams with good defense are proportional to their performance. Baseball is a pitcher’s game. It starts on the mound. It is possible to win only when the selection and bullpen are good.
KIA is 6th with a team ERA of 4.20 last season. The team’s performance was less than 50%, and they rode the last train of the playoffs with 70 wins and 73 losses. The starting pitcher was 3.91 (sixth) and the bullpen was 4.70 (seventh). Mound selection and bullpen rankings in the KBO League were proportional to grades.
The area that KIA needs to reinforce immediately in the 2023 season is to raise the defense in the lower ranks, but it is the bullpen that needs to be focused. A bullpen with an ERA over 4.50 will never make a strong team. SSG, the Korean Series champion, made up for a high bullpen ERA of 4.68 (6th place) as a starter. The average ERA of the starter was 3.44, which was the highest after Kiwoom 3.41. KIA is ranked 6th in the starting lineup.
For the bullpen, having quality pitchers is the first priority, and the second is management.
In the defense of the 2022 season, LG was the most stable. 1st place with 89 errors. KT was the only two teams to boast a double-digit defense with 97. Last-placed Hanwha is the lowest with 134 errors. It is difficult to understand which area coach Carlos Subero has strengthened over the past two years. It’s still a total mess. Defense was not proportional to winning. KS champion SSG is ranked 7th with 109 defensive errors. He compensated for his weak defense with pitching.
In the major leagues in the 2022 season, the minimum error and performance were almost proportional. The only exception is the Miami Marlins, who have 69 errors. Louis Cardinals (66), New York Mets (67), Seattle Mariners (69), Philadelphia Phillies (69), Houston Astros (72), New York Yankees (74), San Diego Padres (76) , Atlanta Braves (77), etc. all entered the PO.
The team that advanced to the postseason with the most errors was the Los Angeles Dodgers with 111 wins, the franchise record, with 83. Three-digit errors were committed by five teams in MLB. Pittsburgh Pirates (121), Washington Nationals (104), Chicago White Sox (102), Colorado Rockies, SF Giants (more than 100), etc. It can be seen that the KBO League, which has fewer games, has more errors than the MLB.
In fact, LG in the 2022 season should have won the Korean Series on record. There is a high possibility that new coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop will get a free ride this year. All forces are already approaching the championship. The team’s ERA (3.33) and bullpen (2.89) rank first in the league. The number of errors is also at least 1st with 89. It is not strange at all if LG’s goal for the 2023 season is to recapture the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years.