The sluggishness of Dan Straley (35), the “hairy ace” of the Lotte Giants, is not unusual.
On the 14th, Strayley started in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League Samsung Lions match at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, and suffered a yoke of defeat with 4 ⅔ innings, 4 hits, 1 home run, 7 walks (5 walks, 2 walks) and 4 runs (3 earned). . He complained of discomfort in his left hamstring during pitching at the bottom of the 5th inning, and was replaced without completing the entire inning.
Strayley, who is in his 4th season in the KBO League, has appeared in 3 games this season and is showing a sluggish appearance with 2 losses and an average ERA of 5.74 without a win. Strayley, who returned in August, the middle of last year’s season, recorded 11 games, 4 wins, 2 losses, and an average ERA of 2.31, showing off the ace’s majesty.
His most notable change is his reduced restraint. Strayley’s average velocity of his fastball this season is 142.2 km/h, the lowest since his KBO League debut (based on Stat Teas). In the game on the 14th, the fastball restraint against Pirella was recorded at 138 km/h in the 4th inning. There was no significant difference from the average speed of the slider (135.9 km / h) in 2021, which was his second year.
The bigger problem is that the control doesn’t work as expected. Strayley, who took first place in strikeouts (205) in the 2020 season, the first year of his KBO League debut, showed compliant control by ranking 6th in the league with 2.36 walks per 9 innings. But this season, his walks per nine innings averaged 5.17, more than twice as many as in his debut season. The proportion of fastballs (four-seam 36% + two-seam 2.5%) is less than 40%, and the proportion of breaking balls has increased, and even this is not controlled as intended, and the vicious cycle is repeating.
When Strayley returned to the KBO League last year, he signed a multi-year contract with a total annual salary of $ 1 million in 2023. He expected it to be a successful contract due to his outstanding performance in the second half, but he has been shaky since the beginning of this season, raising concerns.토스카지노 Even Charlie Barnes, who believed that he would play a one-two punch role, was sluggish, and the entire starting lineup is shaking as Lotte ranks ninth in team starting average ERA (4.70). Na Kyun-ahn is the only starting pitcher who is actually playing his role.
Strayley’s sluggishness may be a temporary phenomenon. However, as he is 35 years old this year, there are voices of concern about the aging curve, and there are signs of concern about his physical condition, such as being replaced by hamstring pain while playing. If Strayley does not find his condition in the near future, Lotte may have to make a decision faster than expected.