'ERA 6.28→3.86' How did this happen, the miracle that occurred at SSG... For a 'grand finale of the Munhak era'

*This content was translated by AI.

Just one week of rest completely transformed the SSG Landers. Struggling all season with rotation issues and plummeting to ninth place, SSG became an entirely different team following a rebound in its starting pitching during the second half.

In the 17th games played since the start of the second half, SSG has maintained a .500 winning percentage with 8 wins, 8 losses, and 1 tie. Of these, seven were victories by the starting pitcher. This is the second-best record after KT Wiz (11 wins, 1 loss). It is a clear example of how crucial starting pitching is in baseball.

SSG's team ERA for this season stands at 5.63, the lowest in the league. This is a complete reversal from last year when they finished second with an ERA of 3.63. In particular, their starting pitcher ERA plummeted significantly from 3.86 last year to 5.84 this year.

Ahead of the season, Kim Kwang-hyun underwent surgery due to a shoulder injury, and rookie Kim Min-jun also experienced shoulder pain, preventing him from making the opening day roster. This left two holes in the starting rotation.

Kim Geon-woo, who shouldered the responsibility as the top domestic starter, and Choi Min-jun, who received a new opportunity, both delivered performances exceeding expectations. However, the real problem lay with the foreign pitchers. Mitch White was sidelined by injury since April, Anthony Venegas struggled to avoid defeat, and Asian quota pitcher Shota Takeda continued pitching in a manner inconsistent with his past reputation.

The poor performance of the starting rotation became contagious. After May, the starting staff completely collapsed, and the team endured a string of consecutive losses. The bullpen, which had been dominant last year, also crumbled. As the starters failed to perform, the burden was entirely transferred to the bullpen, leading to a chain reaction collapse.

A team that finished third last year based on its pitching strength fell all the way to ninth place due to the butterfly effect of its starting rotation. Throughout the first half, the starters recorded only 14 wins (33 losses), and their total innings pitched were limited to 388⅔. Both figures ranked last in the league.

Team Quality Starts (QS·starting pitcher pitching at least six innings while allowing three or fewer earned runs) also reached only 10 times, showing a gap of four times compared to the first-place Doosan Bears (40 times). In fact, it didn't even reach half of what ninth-place Kiwoom Heroes recorded (21 times).

The situation changed completely in the second half. With White's injury prolonging, Thomas Hatch was acquired, and since Venegas failed to rebound, Pedro Avila was brought in. Kim Min-jun joined the team in June as well.

Avila took charge. With aggressive pitching, he achieved three consecutive Quality Starts in his first three games and secured two wins without a loss in four appearances. This momentum also spread to Kim Min-jun. He recently recorded three consecutive Quality Starts; this marks the first time in team history that a high school graduate rookie pitcher has achieved three consecutive QS.

Hatch, who had struggled for five consecutive games after joining the team, also found his footing. He recently achieved two consecutive Quality Starts, creating the atmosphere that manager Lee Seung-yong desired. The hope was that these three new faces would turn around the team's mood.

As the situation evolved, changes were also detected in Kim Geon-woo and Takeda. In particular, Takeda, who had been suffering from severe slumps, recently held opponents to three or fewer runs over five innings or more in three consecutive games, bolstering the mound.

The number of Quality Starts, which reached only 10 times in 86 games during the first half, rose to eight times in just 17 games in the second half. This is the best record in this period. Most encouragingly, the starting pitchers have logged 87⅓ innings, ranking first overall in this category.

As the starters found stability, the burden on the bullpen naturally decreased, and the team is gradually finding overall stability. Even with Choi Jeong out for the season, there have been more instances of securing victories.

Due to the scorching heatwave sweeping the nation, all KBO games were cancelled starting from the 5th. The league schedule will resume again from the 11th. It remains to be seen what impact this break, coming after a period of reorganization and strengthening for SSG at the end of the first half, will have.

In reality, even if the starters show strong performance, reaching the playoffs is difficult. With a win-loss margin of -21 wins, they would need to record 36 wins and 5 losses in the remaining 41 games, achieving a .878 winning percentage, just barely to reach a .500 mark. Considering that fifth-place KIA Tigers currently have a win-loss margin of +6, even reaching a .500 winning percentage may not guarantee playoff qualification.

Rather than focusing on the immediate future, SSG is looking further ahead. For next season, it would be the best scenario for SSG if Kim Min-jun and Kim Geon-woo establish themselves properly, and the newly joined Avila and Hatch secure stable performances leading to contract renewals.

Manager Lee Seung-yong emphasized, "We must absolutely not repeat the same failure next year." If Kim Min-jun and Kim Geon-woo are joined by two foreign pitchers who stabilize their positions, and Kim Kwang-hyun returns next year, it may be possible to build a starting rotation as stable as last year's. Therefore, for SSG's remaining season, finding hope is more important than immediate results.

SSG will usher in the Cheongna Dome era starting from the 2028 season. This means next season will be their final season played at Munhak. As a meaningful place where they have experienced five championships, SSG must prepare well for next season to decorate a grand finale. This is why they cannot take the remaining season lightly.

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*This content was translated by AI.