The NC Dinos signed a foreign pitcher this year who won the Triple Crown and MVP in Eric Peddy. Pedi alone can make or break a foreign farm system. Before Pedi, they had a foreign pitcher named Drew Ruchinski who was their ace for four years. Having a foreign ace pitcher was not unheard of.

However, NC did not have a good success rate with foreign batters partnering with the ace pitcher. Even with Luchinski, the foreign partner was always a problem. This year, Pedi’s partner also changed from Taylor Widener to Tanner Tully. Widener was released and Tanner, who replaced him, will not be re-signed.

None of the foreign hitters have come close to the aura and presence of Eric Thames, who played from 2014-2016. Themes is arguably the best foreign hitter in the history of the KBO, let alone the NC. In three seasons, Thames put up monster numbers, batting .349 with 472 hits, 124 home runs, 382 RBIs, and a 1.172 OPS. In 2015, he won MVP honors after batting .308 with 180 hits, 47 home runs, 140 RBIs, 40 doubles, and a 1.288 OPS. Based on his performance in NC, Thames made a successful return to the major leagues, signing a 3+1 year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers for up to $24.5 million. 먹튀검증 Thames played first base.

Xavier Scruggs succeeded Thames in 2017, hitting .335 with 35 home runs, 111 RBIs, and a .997 OPS.

He somewhat filled the void left by Temes. However, his pace dropped in 2018 and he left the Korean scene. Aaron Altair had a breakout season in the 2020 division title and lasted two seasons, but his time with NC was short-lived, and Nick Martini last year and Jason Martin this year failed to make an impact.

This year’s signing, Jason Martin, was the Triple-A home run king last year and was expected to make a big impact. After the 2021 season, Na Sung-beom Altair left the team, and Yang Ji and Noh Jin-hyuk left after the 2022 season. In the three seasons between 2020 and 2022, the team’s top three home run leaders were gone. The team tried to transform into a rifle team, but they needed a player who could provide the final nail in the coffin with a home run, and they hoped Martin would quench their home run thirst.

Martin batted .435 (123-for-435) with 17 homers, 90 RBIs, and an OPS of .815 this year. Complied. A side injury early in the season and a lengthy adjustment period followed with question marks, but he put up an unabashedly respectable report card for a foreign player. But after September, when he was competing in fall baseball, he struggled, batting just 2-for-30 (123 at-bats) with three home runs, 23 RBIs and a .692 OPS. And he struggled in the postseason. He went 12-for-4 with five RBIs, including a game-winning three-run shot in the semifinals against SSG, but was silent in the five games of the playoffs against KT, going 1-for-18 with one RBI and unable to prevent his team’s reverse sweep.

It was a disappointing end to the regular season and postseason.

Most importantly, he failed to make an impact throughout the season. His RBI production was decent. However, his long ball production was lacking. He was expected to be the Triple-A home run king, but he never hit more than 20 home runs. He didn’t differentiate himself from Nick Martini, a foreign-born hitter who was not re-signed after batting .296 (151-for-510) with 16 homers, 85 RBIs and an .826 OPS in 2022.

The evaluation of Martin is not very favorable. It’s not out of the question that the team will re-sign Martin, but they’re leaning toward replacing him. First and foremost, the team is looking for a hitter who can bat first base, not in the outfield, where Martinez and Martin were used to playing, and who can add to the offense with long balls. “First base was our weakness,” Kang said. I told him to look into the first base position, and I think he’s looking at several players, but he’s looking at the first base position from different angles,” said Kang.

This year, NC’s first base was a position of regret. Their Wins Above Replacement (WAR) at first base was -0.07, ninth in the league. Nine home runs. Both were dead last. Yoon Hyung-joon started the most games at first base, 74, followed by Oh Young-soo with 66 and Do Tae-hoon with 59. It was a three-man system of Yoon, Oh, and Do, with Kim Soo-yoon, Choi Bo-sung (at least four games), Park Joo-chan (three games), and Park Seok-min (two games). There was no clear starter. We’re hoping that a foreign player can step in and provide some long batting power. This is why I’m lukewarm on re-signing Martin, who has played a role.

Once we have a foreign player at first base, it will be easier to organize all the logistics.

The outfield could also be organized differently if a first baseman is signed. With Son As-seob playing primarily as a designated hitter, the outfield of Park Gun-woo and Kwon Hee-dong could see opportunities for outfielders such as Park Han-yeol, who showed promise later in the year, Jeon Jae-hwan, who played a prominent role early in the season, and Park Si-won, the top prospect in the Futures League. 토토사이트 They’ll need to gain experience through competition. The team also needs a foreign-born first baseman to serve as a spur to the growth of Oh Young-soo, who should be the next first baseman.

NC’s offense has been solid this year, with a team batting average of 2.17 (3rd) and 98 team home runs (5th). However, the presence of foreign batters did not stand out. The batting lineup was somewhat empty. The team hopes to fill this void with a foreign player at first base.