The Lotte Giants are now on the verge of having a complete roster of position players. Outfielder Hwang Seong-bin, who suffered a left hand metacarpal fracture injury in early May, is expected to return starting from the last series of the first half against Doosan on the 8th. Yoon Dong-hee, who was sidelined with a left quadriceps strain, has also received a full recovery prognosis and is expected to participate in actual games soon. In the second half, Go Seung-min and Son Ho-young are also expected to return.
With the complete roster of position players nearing, Lotte can hold greater expectations for the second half. Although there were numerous injuries among position players during the first half, they were able to endure thanks to the passion and performances of the new 'gums' who have been stepping up.
Outfielders Jang Du-seong, Kim Dong-hyeok, and Han Seung-hyun, infielders Park Chan-hyung and Han Tae-yang, and catcher Park Jae-yeop were extraordinary 'gums' that supported Lotte during the first half. They played as key players during crucial times, gaining valuable experience. With a strengthened player pool, they have prepared the strength to endure the most intense competition for rankings from mid-July through August.
However, what is crucial in the upcoming second half is different. More important than the return of key resources in the position player lineup, such as Hwang Seong-bin, Yoon Dong-hee, and Go Seung-min, is the stability of the starting lineup. The bullpen is gradually normalizing with Choi Jun-Yong's inclusion. There is an aftereffect from the shocking comeback loss against KIA in Gwangju on the 4th, but they will soon face the All-Star break.
Ultimately, for Lotte to maintain their current ranking and gain further momentum in the second half, the starting lineup must remain stable. Replacement foreign pitcher Alec Gambao has transformed into an ace that the team cherishes. It is highly likely that he will pitch a career-high number of innings, so he is already preparing for the second half after finishing the first half early. He has entered a rest period due to some tightness in his left forearm.
Tucker Davidson may not be seen as an overwhelming ace, but he can fulfill a reliable role as a solid second starter. One could argue that the calculation stands with the pitcher. Now the issue lies with the native starting pitchers, particularly the urgent need for an upswing and turnaround for Park Se-woong, who is referred to as the 'glasses ace.' Park Se-woong made 17 appearances in the first half, achieving 9 wins, 6 losses, an earned run average of 5.38 (95⅓ innings, 57 earned runs), a WHIP of 1.55, a batting average against of .284, and 7 quality starts. Positive statistics include ranking 5th in wins and 8th in strikeouts.
However, Park Se-woong's other records are below average. With an earned run average of 5.38, he ranks 23rd out of 24 in regulated innings. It is the lowest average in the league. His WHIP stands at 24th out of 24, placing him last. The bad aspects are more noticeable than the positives.
The first half of the season has starkly contrasted with the later part. He can appear to be an entirely different pitcher. Park Se-woong became the losing pitcher in his season debut on March 23 against LG at Jamsil (5 innings, 8 hits (3 home runs), 6 strikeouts, 4 earned runs), but then embarked on an 8-game winning streak as a starter. Both the wins and the performance were excellent. Up until May 11, he recorded an 8-game winning streak as a starter with an earned run average of 2.25 (56 innings, 14 earned runs). At that point, he was positioned at the top in most pitcher metrics, ranking first in wins, 6th in earned run average, and 10th in WHIP.
However, the subsequent 8 games for Park Se-woong were the worst. He ended up with 1 win and 5 losses, and an earned run average of 9.84 (39⅓ innings, 43 earned runs). On the 5th against KIA in Gwangju, he had his second game of the season allowing 8 earned runs. He pitched 4 innings, allowing 11 hits (3 home runs), 2 walks, and struck out 3 while giving up 8 earned runs.
On June 29, against KT at Sajik, he pitched 5⅓ innings, allowing 6 hits (2 home runs), 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 3 earned runs, seemingly leading to a rebound, but he could not maintain the momentum and collapsed once again. Manager Kim Tae-hyoung noted, "Still, he won 9 games in the first half and went through the rotation," providing some bittersweet consolation. The results are far from satisfactory compared to expectations. Park Se-woong was selected as the key player of the season by Kim Tae-hyoung. Until May, he appeared as a key player, seeming to secure his place as a necessary native ace for the team. However, as time went on and the first half ended, it would not be strange to evaluate Park Se-woong as below league average, if not the worst pitcher of the first half. The 9 wins have become a figure of shame rather than a medal.
Last winter, he constantly whipped himself in participation of a short-term training program at the Driveline Training Center held in Seoul. It seemed that the results were showing in the first half, but they were not.
From 2020 to last year, he was the native pitcher with the most innings pitched (795 innings) over five years. This makes one wonder if the repercussions of that are appearing this year. However, it cannot be said to be the sole reason for his struggles.
If Park Se-woong does not rebound, the Lotte Giants' second half is likely to be unsuccessful as well. While there are remarkable developments seen with native starters such as Na Gyun-an, Lee Min-seok, and Hong Min-ki, an experienced player like Park Se-woong needs to hold the starting lineup together. As of the 7th, Park Se-woong has been removed from the first-team roster and has begun preparing for the second half.
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