Hanwha has played 9 opening games, but the team's batting average has hardly risen above .100. The slump of the Hanwha Eagles' batting lineup is more serious than expected.

Hanwha lost 2-6 against Lotte in Daejeon on the 2nd. The early exit of starting pitcher Moon Dong-joo, who allowed 4 hits (including 1 home run), 1 walk, and 4 runs in 2 innings, had a significant impact, but the frustration of scoring only 2 runs despite 8 hits and 1 walk was not alleviated that day.

As of the 2nd, Hanwha's team batting average is .177 (50 hits in 282 at-bats), the lowest among the 10 teams. It's incomparable to the league-leading NC (.308) and falls about .08 below the league average (.256). Hanwha ranks 10th in on-base percentage (.259), slugging percentage (.273), and OPS (.532).

Even taking into account that it's the early phase of the season with little data, the batting figures are low, too low. Well-hit balls have been caught by opponents' solid defense, and unlucky foul balls have contributed to the issue, but simply attributing Hanwha's batting slump to bad luck is overlooking a chronic problem that has persisted for several years.

This year, the team has appeared to be in a collective slump since the start of the season. Kim Min-ho, who started the season well with back-to-back home runs in the first two games, has since fallen into a serious slump with a .040 batting average (1 hit in 25 at-bats), 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts over the next 7 games. Following a left field single in the 4th inning against LG on the 26th of last month, he has recorded no hits in 20 at-bats over 21 plate appearances.

Veteran Ahn Chi-hong, who had been suffering from stomach pain and fatigue, has also struggled, with a batting average of .056 (1 hit in 18 at-bats) and 2 RBIs over 6 games. His only hit this season was a pinch-hit game-winning hit in the 8th inning against KIA on the 29th of last month.

Foreign hitter Estevan Florial, who raised expectations with a .400 batting average in the exhibition games, has had a disastrous start with 17 at-bats and no hits in the opening 20 plate appearances. Since getting his first hit, he has recorded one hit in four consecutive games but has yet to hit a home run and is lacking the explosiveness expected from a foreign player. In 9 games, he has a batting average of .125 (4 hits in 32 at-bats), no home runs, 7 RBIs, and an OPS of .431, still going through an adjustment period.

Amid the serious decline of key hitters, the growth of young players is also slow. Lee Jong-chan, given the chance as the starting right fielder, is struggling with a batting average of .150 (2 hits in 19 at-bats), 1 home run, 1 RBI, and an OPS of .506 over 8 games. Choi In-ho and Lee Won-seok have both been quiet, each recording no hits in 6 to 7 at-bats.

Hanwha ranks 4th in team earned run average (3.86), so the pitching is above average, but the team is only averaging 2.9 runs per game, making it impossible to win. As a result, Hanwha stands at 3 wins and 6 losses in the 9 opening games, tied for 8th place with KIA and Doosan. Considering the competitive pitching strength, the sluggish start is very regrettable.

Hitting is bound to have ups and downs. With only 10 games into the season, it is a time to be patient. Hanwha's manager Kim Kyung-moon said, “There’s nowhere to go but up from .100. Can you imagine how frustrating it must be for the hitting coaches and players? Good hits are happening, so we should think positively. It is gradually improving,” adding his faith in Noh Si-hwan, stating, “He has worked hard, so I believe he will overcome this well.”

In the midst of the stagnated offense, the player who is somewhat breaking through is free-agent acquisition Shim Woo-jun. He shined with 3 hits, including a double and 1 RBI, in 4 at-bats against KIA on the 30th of last month and recorded a multi-hit game with 2 hits in 3 at-bats, including a surprise bunt single, against Lotte on the 2nd.

Shim Woo-jun, who led to the opening victory with a game-winning hit in the 7th inning against KT in Suwon on the 22nd of last month, fell silent with no hits in 14 at-bats over the next 5 games but has since boosted his hitting with 6 hits over the last 3 games. His batting average for the season in 9 games is .259 (7 hits in 27 at-bats), the highest among the 6 Hanwha players qualifying for the batting average. That a shortstop like Shim Woo-jun, who specializes in defense and base running, leads the team in batting average shows how serious the slump is for the other hitters. Without Shim Woo-jun, the lineup would have been truly dreadful.

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