ML 18 wins + 155km 8 color group bound for Incheon! SSG Missed Anderson, New Foreigners Happy New Challenge Drew Berhagen
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SSG announced on the 6th that it has signed a contract for a total of $900,000 (down payment of 50,000, annual salary of 750,000 and option 100,000) with foreign pitcher Drew VerHagen (35, Ututa) from the Nippon Ham Fighters in the Japanese professional baseball league.
Berghagen, from the United States, is a right-hander with an outstanding physique of 198cm and 104kg, making his debut with the MLB Detroit Tigers in 2014 and playing until 2019. After that, he moved to NPB Nippon Ham Fighters in 2020 and played a key role in the starting lineup by 2021 with 38 games with 13 wins, 17 losses and an ERA of 3.51.
In 2022, he played two seasons in the Major League again with the St. Louis Cardinals, recording 18 wins, 12 losses and a 4.98 ERA in 206 MLB games. Since then, he has returned to Nippon Ham from 2024 and played until the 2025 season, and has maintained a stable performance by playing about 100 innings every year in the first and second teams for the last two seasons.
Berghagen is considered an aggressive pitcher who uses powerful fastballs and high-quality breaking balls that overwhelm opponents at a large height. It has a stamina that maintains an average pitch of 150km/h with a maximum speed of 155km/h, and effectively induces opposing long balls and strikeouts by utilizing a wide range of pitches such as sliders, changeups, curves, and sweepers.
SSG particularly appreciates Berghagen's stable control and ability to run the game. It has the sophistication to attack the strike zone, and the calmness of playing without shaking even in crisis situations is a great strength. It is also expected that he will play many innings based on his abundant MLB and NPB experience and play a stable starting rotation.
Drew Berhagen, who has finished his contract, said "We are very excited to be able to take on a new challenge at SSG Landers. I will do my best to contribute to the team's victory and show good performance to the fans", he expressed his feelings.
Meanwhile, SSG will finalize the recruitment process after finalizing Verhagen's medical check.
- Date of birth: October 22, 1990
- Height/Weight: 198 cm / 104 kg
- Career: Detroit Tigers (2014-2019), Nippon-Ham Fighters (2020-2021), St. Louis Cardinals (2022-2023), Nippon-Ham Fighters (2024-2025)
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
