The silence of Lotte Giants player Na Seung-yeop, who took on the role of a resolver and No. 4 hitter throughout April, is lengthening.
Na Seung-yeop is experiencing two extreme times in April and May. Until April, he was one of the top players in professional baseball. After a slow March, Na Seung-yeop recorded a batting average of .313 (26 hits in 83 at-bats), 5 home runs, and 23 RBIs with an OPS of 1.032 over 24 games. Throughout April, he seemed to evolve into a true resolver, hitting 5 game-winning hits. His power-hitting has also improved remarkably, matching the 7 home runs he hit last year by the end of April.
However, the Na Seung-yeop of April and the Na Seung-yeop of May are completely different. In May, Na Seung-yeop has only 1 extra-base hit. He has no home runs and just one double. Moreover, this double was only a two-base hit on May 2nd against NC. He has not hit an extra-base hit in 20 consecutive games since. His monthly batting average in May has fallen below .200, recording a .192 batting average (15 hits in 78 at-bats), 6 RBIs, and 8 runs scored over 22 games. He ranks 45th in batting average and 47th in OPS among 48 hitters who qualified for the plate appearances, marking one of the worst performances in the league. He has had only 2 multi-hit games.
On the 21st against LG, he recorded 3 hits in 3 at-bats, along with 3 walks, reaching base in all 6 plate appearances, but that was it. He has not hit a single hit in 3 consecutive games and is silent with just 1 hit in 18 at-bats over his last 6 games. He has stepped down from the No. 4 spot and is now lingering at the lower part of the lineup in the 7th or 8th positions.
Of course, Na Seung-yeop's silence has not led to the team's complete collapse. While Na Seung-yeop has been silent, other hitters like Go Seung-min, Jang Du-seong, Reyes, and Yoon Dong-hee have filled in for Na's struggles. They have taken on the burden that Na Seung-yeop had carried throughout April.
However, the pace of these hitters is also declining again. Most importantly, as the single link of Na Seung-yeop becomes loose, the team lineup is not functioning organically. Scoring opportunities are being cut off. As Na Seung-yeop's presence fades, the cohesion of what used to be a volatile lineup is becoming concerning.
It’s not solely dependent on Na Seung-yeop for Lotte to succeed, but it has been a long time since the silence has lasted this long. On the 29th against Samsung in Daegu, he managed to get 2 walks but also struck out twice. In May, he has received 14 walks and struck out 12 times, indicating no issues with his plate discipline; however, overall, he is frequently failing to make quality contact with the ball. Considering his past struggles at the beginning of last season, when he went down to the minor leagues before making a comeback, it might be worth considering another shock treatment. The team, which had been holding up well throughout May, has recently fallen into a three-game losing streak, putting their third place in jeopardy, but it is still important to remember that we are entering the mid-point of the season. While the length of this silence was unexpected, reflecting on the times when Na Seung-yeop was performing well, it's clear that his revival has become urgent.
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