The Samsung Lions baseball team has truly been blessed with a stroke of luck. Foreign pitcher Ariel Hurado (29) showcased his top innings durability once again with the stability expected of a No. 1 starter.
On the 25th, Hurado pitched 7 innings against Hanwha in Daegu, allowing 4 hits (1 home run) without any walks, striking out 6, and giving up just 1 run to lead Samsung to a 7-2 victory. It was a valuable win that ended Samsung's three-game losing streak.
After taking a ten-day break, Hurado returned and his pitches had great power. With a total of 103 pitches, he varied his arsenal by throwing 7 different types of pitches, including a fastball (25 pitches) peaking at 150 km/h, a sinker (23 pitches), a changeup (29 pitches), a cutter (17 pitches), a curve, a slider (at least 4 pitches), and a sweeper (1 pitch), overpowering the Hanwha batting lineup. He induced 11 ground ball outs with quick-hitting pitches.
Aside from the solo home run he allowed to Chae Eun-seong in the 5th inning, his pitching was flawless. After the game, Hurado said, “I was disappointed about that one home run but it couldn’t be helped. It was most important to induce ground balls while observing the batters' swings,” adding, “I didn’t pitch well in my last appearance (14th against KT in Daegu, giving up 7 runs in 4⅓ innings), but I rested well during the break. My condition, control, and location were all good.”
As of that day, Hurado has pitched 103⅓ innings in 16 games this season, the most in the league, with a record of 7 wins and 6 losses and an earned run average (ERA) of 2.87, marking 81 strikeouts. Together with innings pitched, he recorded 13 quality starts, the highest in the league. His stability and innings durability are among the best in the league.
Upon his return from a ten-day break, Hurado quickly reclaimed his top spot in innings pitched, surpassing Cody Ponce (Hanwha, 101⅔ innings) and said, “I thought I had pitched a lot, but I didn’t realize I was first in innings pitched. Keeping my arm and body healthy while extending my innings is important. I worry about getting tired from pitching a lot, but I’m training hard every day.”
Hurado is a proven pitcher in the KBO League. From 2023 to 2024, he recorded double-digit wins for two years at Kiwoom, pitching 183⅔ innings (3rd) and 190⅓ innings (2nd) respectively. However, after last season, Kiwoom opted for a strategy of two foreign batters and released both Hurado and Emmanuel De Jesus, their two foreign pitchers. Although it was expected that he would be retained when they didn’t re-sign De Jesus, an unexpected decision was made. Surprised by Hurado hitting the market, Samsung quickly reached out and signed him for an aggregates of $1 million.
Although the home stadium has changed from the pitcher-friendly Gocheok Sky Dome to the hitter-friendly Daegu Samsung Lions Park, Hurado’s performance remains unchanged. At ‘La Park,’ he has also been stable with a record of 5 wins and 2 losses and an ERA of 2.91 over 10 games (65 innings). Hurado emphasized, “I don’t approach it differently just because the stadium is different. Even if they hit, I try to throw the ball within the strike zone. It’s important to extend my innings.”
Now in his third year in the KBO League, Hurado has developed a deep understanding of the tendencies of Korean batters. Even with veteran catcher Kang Min-ho behind the plate, he takes charge of pitch selection using the pitch comm system. Regarding this, he said, “I analyze every game and every team, and every batter. Through analysis, I throw the pitches I need and avoid those I think might not be necessary,” adding, “When calling pitches, I take the signs from Kang Min-ho, who has a much wider field of vision.” By calling pitches himself, he has also sped up his pitching tempo, showing more elasticity in innings pitched.
Hurado is now in a friendly competition with Samsung’s ‘homegrown ace’ Won Tae-in. Won has recorded 6 wins and 2 losses with an ERA of 2.59 over 14 games (87 innings) this season. Although he has fewer quality starts than Hurado with 11 games, his ERA is lower. Hurado said, “I maintain a good competitive relationship with Won. We encourage each other to have more quality starts while competing,” and smiled.
[OSEN]