Could it still be that the Sajik Stadium feels unfamiliar?
Jeong Cheol-won is blooming once again in his baseball life with the Lotte Giants in professional baseball. He made a spectacular debut as the Rookie of the Year with the Doosan Bears in 2022 but experienced fluctuations over the next two seasons.
However, Kim Tae-hyoung, the manager who was with him during the Rookie of the Year season, came to Lotte and extended his hand once again to Jeong Cheol-won. He joined Lotte wearing their uniform along with infielder Jeon Min-jae through a mega trade of 2 to 3 with Doosan. Right after the transfer to Lotte, he aimed for a revival while looking forward to reuniting with manager Kim Tae-hyoung.
So far, it has been successful. Manager Kim Tae-hyoung designated Jeong Cheol-won as a key player and has utilized him frequently. Jeong Cheol-won has also repaid manager Kim Tae-hyoung’s trust. He has appeared in 38 games, recording 4 wins, 1 loss, 15 holds, and an earned run average of 4.34. Although the earned run average is somewhat high, Jeong Cheol-won had to shoulder all the risks of the bullpen during the early part of the season.
However, there is an anomaly when looking at Jeong Cheol-won's split performance. Although he has opened a new chapter in his career at Lotte, he is still feeling shy at home in Sajik Stadium. This year, Jeong Cheol-won has a record of 3 wins, 1 loss, 6 holds, and an earned run average of 9.17 (18 earned runs in 17⅔ innings) with 10 strikeouts, 10 walks, and 2 home runs allowed in 21 home games. He has also blown 3 saves. He has been very shaky at Sajik Stadium.
In comparison to away games, the gap becomes even more pronounced. His earned run average in away games is 0.00. It’s perfect. He has recorded 1 win, 9 holds, 20 strikeouts, 4 walks and an earned run average of 0.71 in 17 away games totaling 19⅔ innings. While he has struggled at home, he is 'untouchable' on the road.
Ironically, the game held at Sajik Stadium recorded another scoreless inning, but not as a home team, instead participating as an away team. On April 11, he recorded a scoreless inning in an away game at Sajik.
Most players should perform best at home, yet Jeong Cheol-won is not demonstrating his skills at the home ground in his first year after the transfer. He was not weak before, having recorded 1 hold, 2 saves, and an earned run average of 0.00 in 7 games at Sajik during his time with Doosan.
This could be a temporary phenomenon. However, it cannot be denied that Jeong Cheol-won's home game record is concerning. Perhaps he has been thrown into more pressure-filled games at home, and overcoming that pressure might not have been easy. Sensitive variables such as the height of the mound and the background of the back net could have influenced his performance.
While it is true that he is performing well enough, the poor results at home are regrettable. For Jeong Cheol-won to become even more perfect, he must reduce the gap between his home and away performances. Everyone is hoping that he can stabilize at home and frequently show celebratory gestures during home games.
[OSEN]