LG Twins starting pitcher Song Seung-gi (23) is the hottest pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) league over the past month. He is the best pitcher in the league. Song Seung-gi has recorded better performance than renowned foreign pitchers, including Hanwha Ponce, KIA Nail, SSG Anderson, and Samsung Hu-ra.
This season, the top output for LG, Song Seung-gi has appeared in 12 games by the 10th, recording 7 wins, 3 losses, an earned run average (ERA) of 2.30, and 67 strikeouts. He ranks third in ERA and first among domestic pitchers. He is tied for sixth in wins.
Ponce has recorded 9 wins, no losses, an ERA of 2.20, and 119 strikeouts in 14 games, leading in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. Anderson has recorded 4 wins, 3 losses, an ERA of 2.28, and 108 strikeouts in 12 games, ranking second in ERA and strikeouts after Ponce.
However, looking at the records from the last month (May 11 to June 10), Song Seung-gi is overwhelming. He recorded 5 wins, no losses, an ERA of 0.88, and 30 strikeouts in 5 games. He recorded scoreless performances 4 times. Excluding the game on May 20 against Lotte at Sajik Stadium (allowing 3 runs in 5 innings), he pitched over 6 innings in all 4 games for a perfect scoreless outing. He is first in both wins and ERA.
Anderson has recorded 2 wins, 1 loss, an ERA of 1.76, and 41 strikeouts in 5 games. Doosan Jack-log has recorded 2 wins, 2 losses, an ERA of 1.84, and 17 strikeouts in 5 games. Samsung Hu-ra has recorded 4 wins, 1 loss, an ERA of 1.95, and 18 strikeouts in 5 games. Hanwha Wise has recorded 3 wins, 1 loss, an ERA of 2.08, and 48 strikeouts in 6 games.
During this period, Ponce recorded 2 wins, no losses, an ERA of 3.19, and 44 strikeouts in 5 games. He struggled in the game against KIA in Gwangju on the 8th, allowing 5 runs in 5 innings. Nail has recorded 2 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 4.93 in 6 games. He was pulled from the game early after allowing 7 runs in 4 innings during the first game of the double header against SSG in Incheon on May 11. Even without this game, Nail's ERA over the past 30 days is a mediocre 3.52.
In the last month’s records, the batting average against is second to Doosan Jack-log (.143) with Song Seung-gi (.164) in second place. WHIP is ranked fourth with Song Seung-gi (0.88), following Jack-log (0.68), Ponce (0.81), and Wise (0.82). Song Seung-gi, with excellent vertical movement and spin on his fastball, shows competitive numbers in batting average against and WHIP compared to power pitchers.
Most importantly, Song Seung-gi, with the minimum salary of 30 million won competing against foreign pitchers with salaries exceeding 1 million dollars (about 1.3 billion won), is top-notch in cost-effectiveness.
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