The starting pitcher for SSG Landers in the 2025 season will depend on the shoulders of new foreigners, Drew Anderson and Mitch White. Both players from the U.S. are the same age, born in 1994, and throw fastballs measuring over 190 centimeters tall. Having suffered from poor performance and injuries by foreign pitchers last year, SSG expects them to lead the stabilization of its starting pitchers.메이저놀이터

Will SSG's starting lineup, which was sluggish last year, be able to rebound

Last season, SSG finished the regular season by ranking fifth, but its starting lineup's weaknesses were painful. The team's starting ERA (5.26) was the lowest in the league, and the starting innings (690.2 innings) was also ranked eighth. Kim Kwang-hyun (162.2 innings) was the only player who met the required innings.

The biggest problem was foreign pitchers. Robert Duggar, who was expected to be the starting pitcher, was released after suffering extreme slump with three losses and an earned run average of 12.71 in six games, while Roenis Elias left the team for more than 40 days due to an internal oblique muscle injury, creating a gap in his team's capacity. Shirakawa Keisho, who was hired as a substitute, struggled hard, but it was only a temporary measure.

Amid this development, Anderson joined the team in the middle of this season and has displayed stellar performance. He has taken the center stage of SSG's starting lineup, with 11 wins and 3 losses and an earned run average of 3.92. Notably, he displayed remarkable strikeout ability, which allowed 12.29 strikeouts per nine innings. As a result, SSG plans to renew its contract with Anderson and use him as a key starting resource this season as well.

SSG has recruited Mitch White, a fastball pitcher similar to Anderson's. White had four wins, 12 losses and an earned run average of 5.25 in 71 MLB games (185 innings). He played in the big leagues last year, too, and posted a maximum speed of 157 kilometers per hour on average and 152 kilometers per hour on average.

SSG sent Oh Won-seok, who was the fourth starting pitcher, to KT through a trade after the end of last season, and recruited bullpen pitcher Kim Min. As a result, there is a gap in the starting lineup, and the roles of White and Anderson have become more important.

Foreign duo + Kim Kwang-hyun who will be responsible for the 1st to 3rd selection

Kim Kwang-hyun, Anderson, and White will be the first to third starting pitchers of the SSG team for this season. Kim Kwang-hyun, who was the only pitcher who met the stipulated number of innings at SSG last year, is still a pillar of his team. If Anderson and White add strength to this, he will show a marked change from last year.

The problem is four to five starters. Oh's absence leaves a gap, and the candidates are not clear yet. They must undergo competition through spring camps and exhibition games.

SSG is currently holding its spring camp in Virovichy, Florida. Anderson and White are determined ahead of this season.

Anderson, who is in his second season in Korea, said, "It is more important than anything else to have a healthy season," stressing, "My goal is to prevent six innings more completely than last season."

White, who is preparing for the first season of the KBO League, also showed high expectations. "I've had a lot of physical and baseball twists over the past two years. Now I'm in perfect physical condition. In Korea, I want to keep the starting rotation and pitch without any ups and downs."

SSG, will it be better than last year?

SSG, which suffered from poor selection last year, aims to rebound this season with its fastball foreign one-two punch. If White and Anderson perform as expected, it is highly likely that they will not experience the same anxiety as last year.

However, there are still variables. The key is whether the two foreign pitchers will be able to continue playing in rotation for more than 30 games, whether Kim Kwang-hyun will be able to maintain a normal pace, and who will take the fourth or fifth starting position.

We are looking forward to the 2025 season as to whether SSG will be able to leap to a strong team once again with a foreign one-two punch.