I’m still worried about sending them. They’re the only team to lose two homegrown aces at once.
The KBO and the Korea Baseball The problem is that the KBO does not suspend its regular season schedule after the Asian Games this year 메이저놀이터. Lotte will have to build a starting rotation without Na Kyun-ahn and Park Se-woong while they are on the national team. LG (Ko Woo-seok, Jung Woo-young) and KIA (Lee Yi-ri, Choi Ji-min) are the only teams to have two pitchers sent to the national team, but Lotte is the only team to have two homegrown aces sent side-by-side. Softball Association on Monday announced the 24 players and coaching staff who will compete in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Of the 24 players, 12 are pitchers. For Lotte, Na Kyun-ahn (25) and Park Se-woong (28) were selected to the national team side by side.
It’s an emotional moment for both Na and Park. Na Gyun-ahn is a catcher-turned-pitcher who has become Lotte’s new homegrown ace this year. With a 6-1 record and a 2.43 ERA in 74 innings pitched in 12 games this year, Na ranks second in innings pitched, fifth in ERA, tied for fourth in wins, and fifth in WHIP, making him one of the best starters in the league. With Ahn Woo-jin (Kiwoom) unavailable for the Asian Games, he was considered the most competitive starting pitcher under the age of 25. If the Asian Games had been held last year, Na Gyun-ahn might not have had a chance to make the team.
Park, who pitched a stellar game to give South Korea its first win at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), had some concerns at the start of the season after pitching below expectations, but has since returned to the form we know. With a 3-2 record and a 3.17 ERA in 10 appearances and 54 innings pitched, Park has cracked the “top 10” in ERA at No. 10. He was considered the No. 1 wild card pick even before the roster was announced. He’s also highly motivated, as he’ll be able to clear his military service if his team wins a gold medal.
The problem is that the KBO does not suspend its regular season schedule after the Asian Games this year. Lotte will have to build a starting rotation without Na Kyun-ahn and Park Se-woong while they are on the national team. LG (Ko Woo-seok, Jung Woo-young) and KIA (Lee Yi-ri, Choi Ji-min) are the only teams to have two pitchers sent to the national team, but Lotte is the only team to have two homegrown aces sent side-by-side.
The team will convene in September to train in Korea before traveling to Hangzhou. The Hangzhou Asian Games baseball competition will take place from October 1-7. That’s when the rankings battle will be intense. “We need to win as many games as we can,” Park Se-woong said.
Of course, the odds are stacked in Lotte’s favor. If their homegrown ace duo comes back with gold medals side by side, Lotte will have the foundation to have the strongest starting pitching staff of any team. Will Lotte be able to capitalize on both the present and the future during the Asian Games?
