Record: 23 Games, 11 Wins, 1 Draw, 11 Losses

• Slight Improvement in Win Rate, But Still in Lower Ranks
• Increased Stolen Bases Reflecting Preference for Aggressive Play
• Focused Strategies Lead to Fewer Comeback Defeats

Gambling on Second Half Coaching Changes

• Can Hanwha Achieve Their Dream of Autumn Baseball?

Kim Kyung-moon, the head coach of Hanwha Eagles, declared upon his appointment on the 3rd of last month, "I will make Hanwha a truly strong team." One month into his tenure, how much has Hanwha changed?

Before Kim’s appointment, Hanwha recorded 24 wins, 1 draw, and 32 losses (0.429) in 57 games. Under Kim’s leadership until the 2nd of this month, the team’s record in 23 games was 11 wins, 1 draw, and 11 losses (0.500). The season's win rate also improved slightly from 0.429 to 0.449. There hasn’t been a dramatic rise in rankings, but considering the short time Kim had to assess the players, the team has been on a relatively stable course.

It was realistically impossible to bring about significant changes immediately. Kim pledged to blend his own style of baseball with Hanwha's strengths. His message to the players was clear. This was evident in the lineup for his first game in charge against KT in Suwon on the 4th of last month. He placed Yoo Ro-gyeol, who had hardly had any opportunities in the first team, at the top of the lineup, and put Ha Joo-seok, who had just returned from injury, in the third spot. He also positioned An Chi-hong, who had been playing first base all season, at second base. Kim’s bold moves injected fresh tension into the team.

Kim's "running baseball" strategy also began. Before his appointment, Hanwha was ranked 9th in the league with 30 stolen bases in 57 games. Kim started utilizing players with stealing abilities like Lee Won-seok, Jang Jin-hyuk, and Hwang Young-mook, and gave more responsibilities to the runners. Post-Kim’s appointment, Hanwha recorded 17 stolen bases in 23 games. The team also became more adept at securing wins. Under Kim’s leadership, Hanwha suffered only three comeback defeats in 23 games, the fewest in the league. Before Kim took over, the team had the most comeback defeats in the league with 17 in 57 games.

Despite the positive changes, the goal of “autumn baseball” is still a long way off. Hanwha finished the first half of last year in 8th place, 2.5 games behind 5th place. This year is similar. As of the 2nd, Hanwha is 9th in the league, 4.5 games behind 5th place SSG with two games remaining in the first half. They may finish the first half in a worse situation than last year.

Kim is preparing to make significant moves in the second half. Previously, he stated at his inauguration press conference that he would work with the existing coaches who know the players well for the remaining season. However, after leading the team for a month, he felt the need to reorganize the coaching staff and requested the recruitment of a head coach and a pitching coach from the club. Former LG and Lotte manager Yang Sang 먹튀검증