Hanwha's alternative foreigners, looking at the data → The advantage of targeting the S-zone without 'looking'! Sliders are the "real" main weapon

*This content was translated by AI.

Looking at the 2025 season index of right-hander Jack Cushing (30), who has been confirmed as an alternative foreign pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles, it is clear what Hanwha expects from him. Although there is no fancy fastball, the advantage is that he throws a calculated pitch on the mound.

Hanwha officially announced on the morning of the 4th that it signed a total of $90,000 (annual salary of $60,000 and option of $30,000) with Jack Cushing as an alternative foreign pitcher. Hanwha's quick response was outstanding enough to make a surprise recruit a day after Owen White (27)'s injury. Cushing, who is scheduled to enter the country early on the 5th, is expected to join the starting rotation as early as next weekend.

Cushing, who has a robust 190-cm physique, is a pitcher who won 11 games in the minor league Pacific Coast League (PCL) last year and ranked first in multiple wins. In particular, his strength is that he has a stable ball control of 2.7 walks per nine innings in the minor league, which is a batter-friendly environment.

If you look at Statcast operated by Major League Baseball in the 2025 season, the advantages of Cushing are even more obvious. According to the data, Cushing was listed in the top 7% of the walk allowance rate (BB%) on the AAA stage. The fact that it is not the type of person who causes a crisis by stacking runners with "balling" is the best condition for an alternative foreigner who has to pitch a certain calculation for a short period of time.

Cushing's 'real' weapon is a slider. His slider, a right-hander, had a 36.4% swing and miss induction rate last season. The expected batting average (xBA) was also .186, showing extreme performance. Analysts say it has enough trajectory and rotational power to draw out the opponent's bat.

The efficiency of the change-up that can be used with the slider is also noticeable. The expected batting average (xBA) of the changeup is .161 and the expected weighted on-base percentage (xwOBA) is .199. Change-ups, which are mainly used against left-handed hitters, have a 31% swing and miss rate, which seems to establish a solid set of "two-pitch" crystal balls along with sliders.

Hanwha explained that the four-seam fastball (usually referred to as fastball) recorded a maximum of around 150 kilometers, but the average speed in the 2025 season was 92 miles (about 148 kilometers). When starting, it is highly likely to be formed in the 146-147km range. However, since the percentage of four-seam's hard hits (strong hits) is slightly high at 48.87%, it is expected that the key to success will be how to reduce the number of pitches and mix the breaking ball, which is a strength. Of course, it is also very important to adapt to the KBO official ball.

Ahead of the opening of this season, he played in two exhibition games for the Toronto Blue Jays and recorded a 3.86 ERA without winning or losing. He had three hits (one home run) and one walk and three strikeouts in two ⅓ innings. The hit rate was 0.300 and WHIP (average on-base allowed per inning) was 1.71. Cushing, who was released from Toronto on March 22, was free.

Cushing said through the Hanwha team, "I'm happy to have the opportunity to meet Korean fans. I will pour everything I have so that the team can win," he said. Attention is also being paid to whether Cushing, which has been proven to be a weapon of "S-zone Attack" and "Slider" in the data, will be able to fill White's position well.

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*This content was translated by AI.