No. 1 Hanwha, a really different reason this year → We just won with momentum then Captain's inner atmosphere
May 12, 2025
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Hanwha is the lone lead with 27 wins and 13 losses and a 0.675 winning rate as of the 12th, when it played 40 KBO League games in the 2025 season. Although there is only one game difference with the second-place LG Twins, it is impossible to predict when Hanwha's rise, which has won 12 consecutive games, will be dampened.
Hanwha also briefly ranked first in 2024. He won seven consecutive games in the first half of the season. He finished at the top of the table with eight wins and two losses. There were voices saying that Hanwha has really changed. Fans' expectations have also grown. But it was a brilliant performance. Hanwha finished the 2024 regular season in eighth place.
Will this year be really different.
Hanwha captain Chae Eun-sung looked back saying, `At that time, I won with just the momentum.' In other words, I was lucky.
Currently, each player's performance itself has increased compared to last year.
Chae Eun-sung said, `Now, even if we meet a good pitcher, the way we play in it has changed. Last year, I just won. However, this time, he kept meeting the opponents' first to third starters, and he overcame them all. It's a victory that we made by solving the game, so the meaning is different."
That doesn't mean it feels like 'Invincible'. There are quite a few players who say that they are not likely to lose if the winning streak is prolonged. But Chae Eun-sung was cautious.
Chae Eun-sung said, `I certainly had more thoughts that I could keep up even if I was losing. Our pitchers are so good. The pitchers are so good at blocking. If you hit four home runs, the atmosphere often goes overboard, but you endure it. So the power to follow us point by point became stronger."
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Chae Eun-sung said "Our goals are the same. First of all, we have to go to the semifinals. It's still early days. It's true that the atmosphere is good, but it's not the time to do this or that. Every day is the final for us. It's not the time to calculate a record like that for a few wins. It will continue to be so in the future."
It is clear that the team as a whole has gained strength and confidence.
Chae Eun-sung thinks it's the process of going to a strong team. It returns with confidence by winning by playing a lot of close games. There were some difficult parts and some games that could have been lost by mistake, but I overcame them anyway. It's not just because we're good at pitching, but because we have to defend well, I think we're getting more focused," he said, expressing his pride.
Reporter Han Dong-hoon dhhan@sportschosun.com
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.