Selection? Salvation? ERA 18.47...Ambitious 7.8 Billion Won Investment Deepens Concerns

Aug 10, 2025

Selection? Salvation? ERA 18.47...Ambitious 7.8 Billion Won Investment Deepens Concerns
A game between the LG Twins and the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Stadium on the 9th. Hanwha Um Sang-baek is catching his breath. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.08.09/



Selection? Salvation? ERA 18.47...Ambitious 7.8 Billion Won Investment Deepens Concerns
A game between the LG Twins and the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Stadium on the 9th. Hanwha Um Sang-baek is pitching hard. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.08.09/
An ambitious FA. How should I use it.

Hanwha Eagles signed a four-year contract with FA pitcher Um Sang-baek (29) for a total of 7.8 billion won ahead of this season.

Um Sang-baek, who joined KT in 2015 as the first nomination for the rookie draft, played as a pitcher who can play both starters and relievers. Last year, he played 29 games as a starting pitcher and recorded 13 wins and 10 losses with a 4.88 ERA, ranking third in domestic starters after Samsung's Won Tae-in and Doosan's Kwak Bin (15 wins).




Hanwha expected at the time of recruitment that it would be responsible for the team's starting rotation in the future based on Um Sang-baek's excellent ball control, physical strength, etc.

If Um Sang-baek is firmly established, he will be able to form a starting team with Cody Ponce, Ryan Weiss, Ryu Hyun-jin and Moon Dong-joo. It was not a bad investment for Hanwha, as it can be used as a bullpen even if Um Sang-baek does not have a clear position in the starting lineup.

Selection? Salvation? ERA 18.47...Ambitious 7.8 Billion Won Investment Deepens Concerns
A game between the LG Twins and the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Stadium on the 9th. Hanwha Um Sang-baek is pitching hard. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.08.09/
But it didn't work out as planned. Um Sang-baek was 1-6 with a 6.33 ERA in 15 games in the first half. There were only two quality starts (more than six innings and less than three earned runs). In May, it went through about 15 days of reorganization, but it was not able to settle down for sure.




In the end, he gave up the starting position in the second half. He moved to a relief pitcher, and Hwang Jun-seo entered as the fifth starter.

The relief appearance was also not clearly successful. He played the role of "Long Relief" but lost all but one of the three games he played in July.

In the game against LG on the 9th, Um Sang-baek returned as a starter again. Hwang Jun-seo, who was the fifth starter in the second half of the year, was canceled from the entry on the 7th, and he needed an alternative selection. Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon also had left-hander Kim Bum-soo's card in mind, predicting a 'surprise selection', but decided to give Um a chance to make the final choice. Rather than playing adventurers in the first and second place games, he expected the power of experience.




Selection? Salvation? ERA 18.47...Ambitious 7.8 Billion Won Investment Deepens Concerns
The match between the Hanwha Eagles and the Samsung Lions at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 29th. Hanwha Kim Bum-soo and Um Sang-baek are in thought. Daejeon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.07.29/
Starting for the first time in a month. failed to live up to one's faith. The leadoff batter's game was twisted from the beginning. LG Shin Min-jae intensively cut Um Sang-baek's ball, and eventually hit after 14 pitches. Um Sang-baek, who lost his strength from the first batter, struck out his follow-up Moon Sung-joo with three pitches, but Austin hit a two-run home run. After Moon Bo-kyung's walk, he handled Kim Hyun-soo with a fly ball, but Oh Ji-hwan's timely hit and Park Dong-won's walk did not easily end the inning. He was able to finish the long first inning by catching Koo Bon-hyuk with a fly ball to center field.

The crisis continued in the second inning. After a hit by leadoff hitter Park Hae-min, Shin Min-jae walked. The fastball thrown to Moon Sung-joo was formed in the middle of the strike zone, and he added two more runs with a double to the right-center. In the end, he handed over the mound to Cho Dong-wook without catching an out count. 59 pitches in total.

Selection? Salvation? ERA 18.47...Ambitious 7.8 Billion Won Investment Deepens Concerns
A game between the LG Twins and the Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Stadium on the 9th. Hanwha coach Yang Sang-moon has visited the mound since the first inning to encourage starting pitcher Um Sang-baek. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.08.09/
Cho Dong-wook later grounded out Austin, but Moon Bo-kyung hit a timely hit. Um Sang-baek's loss was also six runs.

In the end, Hanwha was dragged to an early loss and lost 1-8 without changing the atmosphere. He tried to escape the lead by facing LG, but the victory was three games.

Um Sang-baek's second-half ERA rose vertically to 18.47 and his season ERA also rose to 7.42. For Hanwha, it was painful to lose against the leader LG, but it began to deepen its concerns about how to use Um Sang-baek, who is still left with homework.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.