"If Hanwha has Wang Yencheng, then we have Toda." Natsuki Toda of NC has completed his adaptation, with '3G ERA 1.53', while a scheduled meeting with Japanese officials was postponed.

*This content was translated by AI.

"If Hanwha has Wang Yencheng, then we have Toda."

Lee Ho-jun (50), manager of the NC Dinos, smiled. He expressed satisfaction with the consecutive strong performances of Asia quota pitcher Natsuki Toda (26), who has fully integrated into the KBO League.

Manager Lee Ho-jun praised Toda's pitching ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the Hanwha Eagles at Changwon NC Park on the 28th.

Toda, who signed with NC for up to $130,000 (195 million won), secured a win in his debut but subsequently fell into a four-game losing streak, with his ERA soaring to 6.11.

He struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system but has recently seen a sharp upward trend. On the 14th against the Lotte Giants, he pitched 6 innings allowing just 1 run to snap the losing streak, and on the 21st against the Doosan Bears, he continued with a strong performance of 5 2/3 innings allowing 1 run (unearned).

In the Hanwha game on the 27th, he threw 96 pitches over 6 innings, allowing 7 hits (1 home run), 2 walks, and striking out 4 batters while giving up 2 runs, signaling a complete transformation. His ERA has now dropped to 4.34.

Manager Lee Ho-jun said, "His velocity didn't drop even after 5 innings, let alone 6. If Hanwha has Wang Yencheng, we are satisfied with Toda."

Continuing, Manager Lee Ho-jun spoke cautiously. "My grandmother passed away a few days ago, so I went briefly to Japan today (28th) after the game," he said. "The culture there is different from Korea; they don't hold a funeral immediately after someone passes. It seems they wait a few days. So, he said if rain caused the game to be postponed, he wouldn't go."

This shows his deep determination. It appears he not only intends to solidify his spot in the starting rotation by continuing his recent upward trend but also wants to show such dedication to his late grandmother. He added, "So I think I pitched with even more focus."

He started the first inning by giving up a solo home run to Yonatan Peraza but easily got through the second. In the third, with two outs and runners on first and second, he calmly induced Moon Hyun-bin to hit an infield grounder to end the inning.

He allowed one run in the fourth but did not give up any additional runs, striking out two batters. In the fifth, he induced another double play, and he returned in the sixth to cleanly finish the inning.

His fastball reached a top speed of 149 km/h. He mixed in cutters and sliders (19 pitches each), along with 8 forkballs, 4 curveballs, and 1 sweeper to suppress the Hanwha lineup. In his four appearances in May, he recorded 1 win and 2 losses with an ERA of 3.18, showing increased stability.

Toda expressed gratitude for the help from the analysis team, citing the adaptation to ABS as a turning point for his rebound. After the game on the 27th, Toda said, "It took some time to adapt to the ABS zone in the early part of the season, but now I have adapted enough to compete confidently within the zone. I step onto the mound with the hope that my usual pitching style, executed with confidence, will be conveyed to the fielders along with good momentum and energy."

Manager Lee Ho-jun said, "After three innings, he started working the corners. In Japan, it was a strike, but in Korea, it was a ball, so he found that a bit difficult. He tried to throw one in, but it became a ball-ball-ball, so yesterday he boldly aimed for the center. The pitching coach on the mound told him that in a crisis situation, he should still aim for the corners. After that, the pitches went well to the outside and inside corners."

He continued, "He is a player who can throw that pitch anytime, but at some point, pitches that were strikes in Japan kept getting called balls, which seems to have made things difficult for him in the early part of the season. Now, it seems he has adapted to that part."

After finishing the game on the 27th, Toda boarded a flight to his hometown of Nagoya, Japan, via Gimhae Airport on the morning of the 28th. It was a short schedule to return immediately on an afternoon flight at 12:30 after completing funeral procedures.

Toda is preparing to start against the Samsung Lions on the 2nd of next month at Daegu Samsung Lions Park.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.