Would things have been different if Avila had arrived earlier? A baseball figure says, "It's a meaningless hypothetical; there is no 'what if' in baseball → If that were the case, everyone would win."

*This content was translated by AI.

The most captivating yet hollow word on the sports field is undoubtedly "if." As fans watched Pedro Avila (29), a foreign pitcher for SSG Landers, deliver overwhelming pitching in the second half of this season, sighs arose: "If only that player had joined a bit earlier, the team's standing battle would have been different." In response, a baseball figure at the scene delivered a sharp remark, pointing out that such thinking falls under the logic of "resultism," which is equally invincible.

On the 16th, Avila started against Lotte Giants in an away game at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. He threw 86 pitches over seven innings, allowing four hits, one walk, striking out 11 batters, and surrendering just one earned run, delivering a dazzling performance.

The only blemish on his outing came in the fourth inning when he allowed a two-run double to Victor Reyes that went for an extra-base hit, followed by a sacrifice fly from Jeon Min-jae that resulted in one earned run. With a fastball reaching up to 154 km/h and sharp breaking balls including a curveball, changeup, and cutter, Avila subdued the Lotte lineup, shattering his previous single-game strikeout record (three times with eight strikeouts) by recording an impressive 11 strikeouts. Offensively, he received support from Jeon Ui-san's game-winning solo home run, along with two runs each in the sixth and seventh innings, as the team secured a 4-1 victory. Avila claimed his seventh win of the season (with one loss), and his ERA for this season dropped further from 1.41 to 1.39.

Replacing Anthony Veniziano as SSG's foreign pitcher ahead of the second half, Avila took on the SSG uniform starting with the KIA Tigers game on July 16. He pitched a remarkable 71 innings across 11 games, averaging 6⅓ innings per game — far surpassing James Nail (KIA), who led the league in total innings this season. Avila emerged as the top contributor to SSG's second-half resurgence.

As Avila continued to deliver overwhelming pitching every time he took the mound, sighs naturally arose within and outside the baseball community: "If Avila had been with us from Opening Day, the playoff race would have been completely turned upside down."

However, Veteran baseball figure A remained firm in his stance. In a recent interview with StarNews, A stated, "It is undeniable that Avila has performed as the top ace in the second half. But saying 'if he had joined earlier' is purely a meaningless hypothetical. There is no 'what if' in baseball," he cut sharply.

He pointed out that an early arrival does not guarantee success. A added, "If he had played full time from Opening Day, he would have faced the physical decline of midsummer, injury risks, and intense scrutiny from other teams based on detailed analysis. His current performance may also benefit from gaps in data regarding opposing catchers and batters."

The baseball figure also cited a famous quote from a retired player: "There is no 'what if' in baseball. Someone once said that if you attach the word 'if' to everything, every team would win. That's 100% true. While it can be seen through a resultist lens, it ultimately holds no meaning," he added.

He further emphasized, "Front offices should not hide behind the shield of 'what if' when discussing their recruitment timing or past games. A player's outstanding performance should serve as an objective indicator for planning the upcoming season, not as an excuse to soothe regrets over past results."

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*This content was translated by AI.