KBO League becomes 'walk league' with an average of 9 walks per game in Gyeonggi Province [Lee Jong-seong's Sports Culture & Industry]

*This content was translated by AI.

The game between the Hanwha Eagles and the Samsung Lions, held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park on the 14th, took a staggering 4 hours and 9 minutes despite not going into extra innings.

It was due to walks. The number of walks recorded in the game reached a staggering 23. Hanwha surrendered 16 walks, while Samsung added 7 more. A total of 23 walks in a single game is a new KBO League record.

The problem is that the excessive issuance of walks by pitchers has reached a serious level in professional baseball this season. As of the 14th, the average number of walks per game in the KBO League stands at 9.04, meaning that, mathematically, more than one walk has been recorded per inning.

The average number of walks per game this season, as of the 14th, is the highest since the 10th-team league structure was established in October 2015. It exceeds the 8th.18 walks per game recorded in 2021.

An increase in the number of walks naturally extends game duration. To deliver more exciting games to fans, the KBO officially introduced a pitch clock last year to prevent pitchers from delaying time on the mound. This year, the pitch clock was shortened from 20 seconds to 18 seconds, and from 25 seconds to 23 seconds when there are runners on base.

However, this "war against game time" by the KBO has not yielded results this season, as evidenced by the increase in the number of walks. Compared to last season's average game duration of 3 hours and 2 minutes based on regular innings, the average game time through the 14th of this season has actually increased by six minutes.

Among the 10th teams this season, Hanwha, which allowed the most walks with 86, had the longest average game time at 3 hours and 23 minutes. This was a full 15 minutes longer than the average game time across all of professional baseball. It was, once again, due to walks.

The reason the KBO League has devolved into a "walk league" is attributed primarily to pitchers' loss of control and decline in pitch quality. Additionally, the poor performance of foreign pitchers, who hold the key to the mound for all 10 teams, in the early part of this season is another contributing factor.

However, some argue that the fundamental cause of the increase in walks lies in academy baseball. In high school baseball, when a pitcher finds themselves in a precarious situation, managers often instruct them to issue intentional four-ball walks rather than engage in direct confrontations with opposing batters. Even when not issuing intentional walks, it has become a common practice in high school baseball for pitchers to rely solely on (pitching outside the strike zone) to tempt batters into making mistakes.

The approach of baseball academies, which high school and college players visit to improve their skills, is also being raised as a problem. These academies tend to focus more on increasing pitch velocity than on improving a pitcher's control. This is because a pitcher must have a faster pitch to have a chance of being selected in the professional baseball rookie draft. As a result, pitchers become obsessed solely with increasing ball speed, much like athletes competing in speed records.

As of the 14th, the average number of walks per game in Japanese professional baseball is 5.43, while in MLB (Major League Baseball), it stands at 7.55. Last year, the average number of walks per game in MLB was 6.32, but the figure has risen this season.

This was influenced by the ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) challenge system, which MLB introduced this season. Under this system, only pitchers, batters, and catchers may request a review of umpire calls on strikes and balls via the ABS. Consequently, many analysts argue that MLB pitchers now face increased pressure to pitch within a relatively narrower strike zone compared to the past.

Meanwhile, one reason for the low average number of walks per game in Japanese professional baseball is that Japanese pitchers have traditionally focused on improving control beyond mere velocity. Additionally, it is assessed that the official baseball used in Japanese professional baseball has low and tightly stitched seams, making it less slippery and easier for pitchers to grip, thereby aiding in better control.

Past MLB coaches often told pitchers who avoided direct confrontations: "Babe Ruth is dead. Throw strikes." This meant they should not pitch in fear of batters but instead throw strikes within the strike zone. This is the message I want to convey to KBO League pitchers facing a crisis this season due to an unprecedented surge in walks.

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*This content was translated by AI.