SSG Landers was the strongest team in the league last season. He won the "Wire to Wire" title, which kept him in first place from the opening game to the final game, making an unforgettable season. He also won the Korean Series and won the championship for the first time in 12 years since 2010, when he was in the SK Wyverns. The entire team achieved its goal without succumbing to the big and small crisis.
It is true that there were high expectations for SSG's second consecutive challenge because there was no significant power leak ahead of this season. Although some players in the league moved to free agency (FA) contracts, there were not many teams that could be called SSG's opponents. At least, the LG Twins, which competed for first place in the regular season with SSG last year, was the No. 1 target for vigilance.
Of course, SSG's outlook for the 2023 season was not bright. There were negative predictions about the fact that there were no factors that could be very positive compared to the previous season's strength, and some experts even predicted that SSG would not be easy to win as well as compete in the semifinals.
SSG held on well until the first half. Foreign pitcher Kirk McCarty pitched well even as the starters struggled, and key bullpen pitchers in the team, including Seo Jin-yong and Noh Kyung-eun, showed better-than-expected pitches every day. On top of that, the main hitters, including "Blessed" Guillermo Heredia, were doing their part in the lineup.
Then, in the second half of the year, a strange atmosphere began to be detected. SSG, which met the relatively lower Samsung Lions and Hanwha Eagles in turn at the end of July, was satisfied with three wins and three losses, and lost all of the Suwon KT Wiz matches from the 1st to the 3rd, the first three consecutive games in August. Two weeks later, from the 15th to the 19th of last month, it fell into a quagmire of five consecutive losses, virtually leaving the lead competition, and LG's solo system was solidified.
But that wasn't the end. SSG, which saw a significant increase in games in September, has not won a single winning series, and as of the 18th, it has the most winning percentage in the league with two wins, one draw and 11 losses (0.154) in 14 monthly games. SSG's ranking, which once topped the list, fell to third, fourth, and fifth place, but fell to sixth place after losing two doubleheaders to LG on the 17th. It has become unclear whether he will advance to the postseason.
Both pitching and hitting have fallen into total difficulty, making it difficult to cite only one cause of the fall. In September, the team's batting average and ERA were 0.260 (6th) and 6.91 (lowest), respectively, putting it in a situation where neither the power of the home run squad nor the solidity of the mound can be found.
In the end, it is pointed out that there are not many players who can play an intermediate role in the team. SSG, which united around "the oldest" Choo Shin-soo and Kim Kang-min last year, made meaningful results by cheering up even young players, but it is not easy in reality for this to last for years.
Just looking at the mound. In the starting lineup, it is not clear who will be responsible for the team's present and future. Even Oh Won-seok, who was trusted, is getting sluggish for a long time. The situation is similar with the bullpen. Except for Ko Hyo-joon and Seo Jin-yong, there are not many pitchers to trust. Newcomers Song Young-jin and Lee Woon, who stood out at the beginning of the season, are players who need more time. 스포츠토토
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, who had been arguing with SSG throughout the first half of the year, also said in a recent interview, "Ju-jeon should be young. The backup should be taken by a relatively older player. "If older players are at the core, generational change cannot be achieved," he said. "That doesn't mean that veteran players don't play, but it is a new and old harmony that should help young players arrange their physical strength and gain experience while playing in the 8th to 9th innings." Only then will the team continue to win and it is most important to create such a team," he said, expressing his thoughts on the composition of the team.
The bigger problem is that it can't be solved at once after this season is over. It is impossible for young players to leap to the main level overnight. Waiting time is needed, and overall team maintenance should be carried out. Can SSG rise above the current crisis.