With Mondays representing a day of rest in the KBO, the season quietly reached about one-fourth of the games played mark with the NC Dinos still atop the standings. There are some teams on the rise with injuries and slow starts returning to a sense of balance making the upcoming week an intriguing one. First, here are the present standings:
Keeping up with the home run trends this season, game averages of them continue to rise with the warm weather. After 177 games this season, there are 2.02 hit per contest (358 total), while pitcher’s ERA seems to be settling in at 4.82 as the league average. However, with warmer weather around the corner and games with higher humidity, the power surge could climb to a higher rate. Part of the reason the Dinos remain in first place, its deep lineup as evidenced in the league leaders in hitting:
Although he missed the last three games, Roberto Ramos kept his league lead in home runs. Ramos will travel with LG to Hanwha but there’s no indication he will be activated during the series:
Sports Sepul's Seaho Yoon reporting that Kiwoom wanted to sign Carlos Peguero, but LG currently holds Peguero's KBO rights and will not release them. LG wants to keep Peguero's rights as a backup plan due to Ramos injury and lack of player pool due to COVID-19. https://t.co/2SWxzQwQVt
— Dan Kurtz (@MyKBO) June 15, 2020
On the pitching side, Chang-mo Koo in the midst of a breakout at the right time with increased exposure to scouts in the major leagues has made seven starts this year with each being a quality outing and keeping his ratio statistics below one in a hitter friendly environment:
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Perhaps the biggest news from last week, the Hanwha Eagles ending their 18-game losing streak with a win over Doosan in a suspended game then starting a new streak taking the regularly scheduled game over the Bears as well on Sunday winning both games by one run. During the losing skid, Hanwha changed managers and demoted ten veterans to the Futures League but can recall any of them on Thursday as covered in this article:
With veterans set to return, Hanwha Eagles looking to take off in KBO https://t.co/IrYLqPK0Zx
— Yonhap News Agency (@YonhapNews) June 15, 2020
Both Jin-hang Choi (OF) and Sung-yul Lee (DH) stand in line to return with each hitting for power since their demotion. Also, Jeong Choi of SK could reach a personal milestone this week
#KBO stats: With 2 home runs Sunday, Choi Jeong of the SK Wyverns climbed to 4th on the all-time list with 339. Next up: Jang Jong-hoon (former Eagle, 340), and Yang Joon-hyuk (long-time Lion, 351). Another Lions legend, Lee Seung-yuop, is No. 1 with 467.
— Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) June 14, 2020
His next home run puts him into a tie for third all-time in the KBO but he’s a long way from the top of 467 home runs in league history. Good news, the Wyverns host the struggling KT Wiz pitching staff so Choi could end the series in third place all by himself. Last, Kiwoom lost its import hitter Taylor Motter due to personal issues along with his less than impressive performance with the Heroes. They continue to monitor the list of players released from the MLB before signing a hitter with power to fill a void in their lineup:
The Q is why is #Kiwoom taking so long to find/sign new foreign player? I believe the club is expecting new wave of players will be available shortly as #MLB teams might make additional cuts and release more players. #KBO
— Daniel Kim ??? ? (@DanielKimW) June 15, 2020
With an eye on the future, here’s some of the top performers in June so far who seem to be on the rise in the KBO:
Starting Pitcher Spotlight
Mike Wright , NC Dinos
Part of the triumvirate of Dinos starting pitchers fueling their strong start, Wright is 5-1 with a 2.77 ERA, 4.72 FIP, and 1.23 WHIP through 39 innings of work. If he’s going to stave off the pending regression in his FIP, Wright needs to reduce the free passes he issues. On a positive note, he has yielded two walks or fewer in five of his seven starts. In June, he’s 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings with 11 strikeouts against six walks holding hitters to a .211 average.
David Buchanan, Samsung Lions
With Samsung on the rise in the standings, Buchanan’s recorded four straight wins giving up 21 hits, three earned runs, and five walks with six strikeouts his last 26.2 innings. His ratio statistics of a 1.01 ERA and 0.97 WHIP whittle down his overall numbers following a ten earned run implosion versus Doosan prior to this hot stretch. Like Wright above, Buchanan needs to attack hitters to defray his 5.12 FIP compared to his present 3.63 ERA for the season.
Ki-young Im, Kia Tigers
Presently fourth in the KBO in strikeouts minus walks percentage (18.8), Im’s only 3-3 with a 2.82 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and 1.12 WHIP through 38.1 innings. Im needs to work deeper into games with only three quality starts but his 34:5 K:BB should not be ignored with his underlying numbers pointing to an emerging starter in the Kia rotation.
Tae-in Won, Samsung Lions
Like his teammate above, Won’s also surging over his last four outings with three wins in them while recording a 0.72 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 17 strikeouts his last 25 innings. On the season, he’s 4-1 with a 2.30 ERA, 4.25 FIP, and 1.30 WHIP which means he needs to carry over the recent gains but if he keeps allowing traffic on the bases some migration to the mean could ensue.
Hitter Highlights
Mel Rojas Jr., KT Wiz
It’s time to show some love to Rojas Jr. who ranks among the top three in all three categories of the KBO triple crown. He’s currently first in RBI (36), second in home runs (12), and third in batting average (.383). In June, Rojas Jr.’s power spike can be seen in his six home runs in 48 at-bats (one every eight) with a .750 slugging percentage and robust .417 isolated power driving his season on-base plus slugging rate to 1.126. Here’s his zone profile courtesy of Statiz and note how he handles pitches in the lower third of the strike zone in the KBO, a league predicated on inducing ground balls while pitching to contact:
Rojas Jr. will look to keep his power surge going with his team heading to SK for a three-game set to open the week. If Ramos remains sidelined, Rojas Jr. could take the home run lead heading into the weekend.
Aaron Altherr , NC Dinos
After a slow start, Altherr’s turned the corner, adjusting to the KBO and a new culture. Even though he’s hit seventh or eighth in the lineup most of the season but now sits second in the KBO in RBI (35). He’s also fifth in home runs (9). In June, Altherr’s hitting .417 (10-for-24) with a 1.206 on-base plus slugging percentage in 12 games with four home runs driving in 17 runs in only 12 contests. More impressive, Altherr’s only struck out eight times in 47 plate appearances (17 percent strikeout rate) with an 8.5 walk percentage. If the plate discipline holds and his power along with speed continues, Altherr could be a factor in NC playing deep in the playoffs.
Tyler Saladino , Samsung Lions
Battling through early injury issues and adapting to the KBO, Saladino’s settled in as a Swiss Army Knife for the Lions playing all over the diamond and turning his season around. Over 12 games in June, Saldino’s slashing .333/.511/.636 with nine runs, four doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, four stolen bases, 10 walks, and nine strikeouts. Keying on his improved plate discipline and recent propensity to steal bases, Saladino could be a pivotal part of his team moving into playoff contention.
Ja-wook Koo, Samsung Lions
Speaking of hot Samsung players, Koo returned from the injured list a week ago and already owns a six-game hit streak upon activation. Koo’s 10-for-24 (.417) with four runs, three doubles, two home runs, and six RBI with four multiple hit games in the streak. Last year, Koo hit 15 home runs while stealing 11 bases and owns a career .320/.392/.520 slash in the KBO. He’s also in his age-27 season meaning his power spike could be in full effect.
Kun-woo Park, Doosan Bears
Part of Doosan’s resurgent offense lies in the rebound by Park this month. After an abysmal start in May hitting .214, he’s in the midst of four straight multi-hit contests along with six such performances over his last ten played. In June, Park’s batting .468 with 14 runs, 222 hits, six doubles, two home runs, six RBI, and two stolen bases. While DFS seeks out power, Park’s steady production atop the Bears lineup makes him a worthy target going forward.
With an eye on the week ahead, here’s the latest KBO power rankings from lead correspondent Daniel Kim:
As for the first set of three-game series, here’s now the teams will match-up on Tuesday morning:
- KT Wiz at SK Wyverns
- LG Twins at Hanwha Eagles
- Lotte Giants at Kiwoom Heroes
- NC Dinos at Kia Tigers
- Samsung Lions at Doosan Bears
Be sure to stay with Fantasy Alarm to remain ahead of the competition across all fantasy formats and be well.
Statistical Credits:
Statiz.com
Eng.koreabaseball.com
myKBOstats.com
Fangraphs.com
Player News
Phillies INF prospect Otto Kemp went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday.
Kemp now has seven home runs on the season and is hitting .313 with a 1.072 OPS. More importantly, he has played games at 2B, 3B, LF, and 1B for Lehigh Valley this season, which means the Phillies could eventually call him up as a super utility player. His primary position is third base, so he could be an option there if Alec Bohm continues to struggle, but Kemp his 16 home runs and stole 20 bases in the minors last year, so there is some power and speed here if he ever gets a shot.
Cardinals RHP prospect Michael McGreevy allowed three runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings for Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.
McGreevy struck out four and walked three on the day and is now sporting a 4.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 25/7 K/BB ratio in 28 2/3 innings this season. The right-hander almost won a rotation spot out of spring training, and the Cardinals’ starting pitching has really struggled of late, so there is a window for him to push his way into the big league rotation. However, he’s going to have to pitch a little better to force St. Louis’ hand.
White Sox 1B prospect Tim Elko went 2-for-5 with a walk, two home runs, four RBI, and three runs scored for Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.
The White Sox’s hulking first base prospect now has nine home runs and 20 RBI on the season while slashing .354/.432/.732 in 23 games at Triple-A. He’s also sporting a 28 percent strikeout rate and has always had strikeout rates around 30 percent in the minors, which likely means he will struggle to hit for a good average at the big league level. That said, the 26-year-old is a career .292 hitter in the minors and probably deserves a shot at some big league at-bats soon.
Cubs 3B prospect Matt Shaw went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.
Shaw has gotten off to a slow start at Iowa, hitting just 5-for-26 in his first seven games. However, he has five walks and just one strikeout, and will most likely quickly show that he is too talented to remain at that level for long. It may just take another few weeks before that works itself out, which makes him hard to stash in most league types.
The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports that "[Chas] McCormick’s spot on the major-league roster has never felt more tenuous.”
The 30-year-old McCormick is slashing .318/.423/.364 on the season but has been limited to just 29 plate appearances, and the Astros have also said that Cam Smith will start taking fly balls in centerfield. As Rome points out, “The entire premise of carrying McCormick centered on his ability to back up Jake Meyers in center field and serve as a late-game defensive replacement for Smith or Altuve in the corners.” If the Astros don’t need McCormick as a late-game defensive replacement and Zach Dezenzo begins to show more offensive promise, there is little need for McCormick on the roster. Rome adds, “The act of exposing Smith to center field accentuates how far McCormick has fallen in the organizational hierarchy. That he has taken 19 plate appearances since April 3 — and sacrifice-bunted during two of them — further demonstrates his standing.”
The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports that the chances of Hunter Brown agreeing to a contract extension with Houston as “narrow, if not nonexistent.”
That’s not to say that Brown is leaving the Astros, but Rome believes it’s a near certainty that Brown will test the free agent market and try to command a big payday. Something we probably could have pieced together when he changed his agent and hired Scott Boras. According to Rome, “Brown was interested in an extension last spring, but talks with Houston’s front office never materialized into anything substantial.” At the time, Brown had a 4.60 ERA across 176 MLB innings, so it’s understandable that the Astros were uncertain, but they’re probably kicking themselves now.