'Davidson Acquisition Rumors Erupt!' Two Selected Foreign Investors Face Crucial Test: What Will They Show Against NC?

*This content was translated by AI.

Amidst the baseball world's stir over the public disclosure of Matt Davidson (35), a former 'KBO League Home Run Champion' of the 2024 season and former foreign hitter for NC Dinos, Wiles (28), the 'foreign investor right-handed second starter' at the center of acquisition rumors for Kiwoom Heroes, faces a test of fate.

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On the 28th, Kiwoom announced that right-handed pitcher Wiles will start in the away game against NC Dinos of the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' held at Changwon NC Park. After escaping a 10-game losing streak in their match on the 27th, Kiwoom will face NC in a winning series.

Currently, the baseball world's attention is focused on Kiwoom's foreign player composition. On the 26th, NC officially announced the termination of its contract with Davidson, and the KBO approved this on the 27th, leading to Davidson's public disclosure. Davidson, who claimed the Home Run Champion title with 46 home runs in the 2024 season and hit 36 home runs last season, is a proven power hitter. Although he managed only 8 home runs this season and experienced the pain of being released, he has emerged on the market with his batting average reaching as high as 0.419 over the last 10 games, indicating his hitting form is at its peak.

Naturally, 'Davidson acquisition rumors' surfaced, targeting Kiwoom, which has a hunger for a power hitter. A Kiwoom club official, ahead of the NC match on the 27th, stated, "We can consider it, but nothing has been concretely decided at this point," showing a cautious attitude. Earlier, Kiwoom manager Seol Jong-jin also drew a line on the 24th ahead of the KIA match regarding the possibility of utilizing two foreign hitter players, saying, "There are no concrete plans at the moment," and added, "We plan to make a decision after closely monitoring Wiles' pitching performance as he returns from a shoulder injury." This means the option for two foreign hitters remains open.

Ultimately, all the keys rest with Wiles, who will start on the 28th against NC. Depending on Wiles' performance, Kiwoom's future plans for foreign player composition in the second half of the season could change completely.

The most critical aspect to watch in this appearance is undoubtedly his pitching velocity. Before the season opener and until early April, Wiles gathered expectations by throwing a powerful fastball reaching the high 140s km/h. However, he disappointed by being sidelined due to a shoulder injury.

In fact, Wiles' velocity issues have consistently raised concerns. According to Kiwoom, after recovering from injury and undergoing build-up training, he started against Dongwon Science and Technology University on the 24th, pitching 3 innings with 35 pitches, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk, and 2 earned runs. Wiles' top velocity that day was only 142 km/h, falling short of his best velocity. In this situation, Davidson was publicly disclosed, and Kiwoom maintains its stance of continuing to consider various options. They have not completely ruled out the possibility of acquiring Davidson.

In the NC match on the 28th, while the game result is important, the key is whether Wiles can prove his powerful velocity and pitch quality, reaching the high 140s km/h as he showed in the early season. If Wiles demonstrates his health and dominates the NC lineup, Kiwoom can maintain its existing starting rotation and add stability. Conversely, if his velocity recovery is slow or he struggles due to the injury gap, Kiwoom will face a situation where it must seriously consider the bold move of acquiring 'two foreign hitter players' through Davidson.

Strangely, the team Wiles must face is NC, Davidson's former team. Although Davidson has left, fans' attention is focused on Changwon to see what kind of pitching Wiles will display against the NC lineup, which scored a whopping 11 runs against Kiwoom in the match on the 26th.

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*This content was translated by AI.