How the Hanwha Eagles soared to the top of the KBO with youthful power and veteran poise

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How the Hanwha Eagles soared to the top of the KBO with youthful power and veteran poise

Published: 13 May. 2025, 13:32 Updated: 13 May. 2025, 17:11

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Fans watch the KBO game between the Hanwha Eagles and Samsung Lions at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark on May 7. [YONHAP]

The Hanwha Eagles have stunned the KBO this season with a rapid ascent to the top of the standings, powered by a league-best pitching staff, breakout performances from young talent and steady leadership under manager Kim Kyung-moon.

With a 12-game winning streak as of press time Tuesday following an earlier eight-game run, the Eagles are rewriting history after years in the league’s lower ranks.

The Hanwha Eagles celebrate after winning a KBO game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on May 9. [YONHAP]

The Eagles hold a 27-13 record in their first 40 games. From 2021 to 2024, they sat near the bottom of the standings at this point in the season, ranking eighth in 2021, 10th in 2022, ninth in 2023 and ninth again last season.

The Daejeon club has not only showcased significant improvements, but their home and away games have both drawn crowds, tying the KBO’s all-time record for most consecutive sold-out games by a single team, with 14.

The Eagles’ dugout has remained composed despite the crowd surge,

“What matters most is finishing the season strong,” Eagles general manager Son Hyuk said. “We’re more worried about possible injuries during games. The manager is doing a great job keeping the players grounded, even during this winning streak.”


Kim Kyung-moon’s leadership

For the Eagles, this season feels like the payoff of a long rebuild. After years at the bottom of the table, the team secured top draft picks and quietly assembled a roster of elite pitching prospects.

Among them is Moon Dong-ju, a pitcher from Gwangju Jinheung High School, whom the Eagles selected with their 2021 first-round pick.

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Moon Dong-ju celebrates during the KBO game against the Samsung Lions at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on May 7. [NEWS1]

Although Gwangju is the Kia Tigers’ home region, the Eagles held the right to make a national pick that year after finishing last in the league. With the Tigers opting to draft top hitter Kim Do-yeong, the Eagles swiftly selected Moon.

Following the KBO’s return to a complete draft system, the Eagles again used their last-place privilege in 2022 to take Seoul High School pitcher Kim Seo-hyun with the first overall pick.

They continued to build their pitching staff with left-hander Hwang Jun-seo from Jangchung High School and right-hander Jeong Woo-joo from Jeonju High School in subsequent drafts.

Those young arms are now central to the Eagles' success.

Moon, now in his fourth season, has cemented his role in the rotation. Kim, in his third year, has emerged as the team’s closer. Jeong, a rookie, is making an immediate impact out of the bullpen.

Manager Kim Kyung-moon, 66, who took the helm last May, is utilizing the young roster with a veteran’s discipline and adaptability.

Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon greets fans at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul after the KBO game against the Kiwoom Heroes on May 11. [YONHAP]

Kim is the oldest active KBO manager, with a 23-year age gap between him and the league’s youngest, Tigers' Lee Bum-ho.

Kim’s approach blends firm leadership with flexibility. He monitors players closely from spring training through the regular season and sticks with his choices once he names a starter.

Even when the team’s batting average hovered below .200 early in the season, he maintained trust in core hitters like Noh Si-hwan, Chae Eun-seong and Kim Tae-yeon, all of whom have since found their stride.

Kim also moves quickly when changes are needed. This year, he made the bold decision to install Moon Hyun-bin, previously a peripheral player, as a central hitter.

“Last year, I joined the team midseason and didn’t see everything clearly. I reassessed during the closing camp,” Kim said.

He replaced veteran closer Joo Hyun-sang after just three games when he faltered at the start of the season. Kim handed the ball to Kim Seo-hyun, a hard-throwing reliever who had struggled with inconsistency in his first two years.

“I was having a tough time when the manager and pitching coach Yang Sang-moon gave me opportunities,” Kim Seo-hyun said. “That made me want to work even harder.”

He now leads the league with 12 saves.


Dominant starting rotation

The Eagles struggled to land impact foreign pitchers for years.

From 2020 to 2024, players like Felix Peña, Ricardo Sánchez, Nick Kingham, Ryan Carpenter, Warwick Saupold and Chad Bell cycled through the roster without establishing dominance. Ace candidate Burch Smith threw just one game before suffering a season-ending injury in 2023.

This year, things have changed.

Cody Ponce and Ryan Weiss now anchor the best one-two punch in the KBO.

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Cody Ponce pitches during a KBO game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on April 9. [NEWS1]

Ponce has thrown 59 innings over nine games, recording a 7-0 record with a 1.68 ERA. He leads the league in strikeouts with 75 and ranks second in wins, ERA and innings pitched.

“I don’t understand how a guy like Ponce already came to Korea,” KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul said.

Kim also praised Ponce, saying he is "a flawless No. 1 starter."

Weiss, who joined as a midseason replacement last year, has a 6-1 record and a 3.36 ERA over nine starts.

Both pitchers regularly throw in the high 150s kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour) and have each notched seven quality starts, tying them for second in the league.

“Ponce is a foreign player, but he’s also a leader for the young pitchers,” interpreter Kim Ji-hwan said. “He jokes around in the dugout, but when it comes to scouting and analyzing opposing batters, he’s incredibly serious.”

He added that Ponce and Weiss idolize Ryu Hyun-jin, who rejoined the Eagles this season after a decade in MLB.

“To them, Ryu is like a god," Kim said. "They copy everything he does. They even check what uniform he’s wearing to match him.”

The Eagles’ rotation, led by Ponce, Weiss and Ryu, ranks first in team ERA at 3.08, 22 wins, 240 strikeouts and opposing batting average at 0.222.

“There’s a healthy competition among the starters,” pitching coach Yang said. “No one wants to be the one to break the streak. That pressure drives better performances.”


Catchers and defenders

Yang stressed that pitching alone doesn’t win games.

“Just having good pitchers doesn’t make a team successful. Everything has to come together," he said.

He credited catchers Choi Jae-hoon and Lee Jae-won and shortstop Sim Woo-jun, for playing critical roles behind the scenes.

When rookie Jeong Woo-joo looked rattled during a recent game, Choi walked to the mound and told him, “What are you, chickenhearted? Just throw it down the middle. I’ll take responsibility.”

Hanwha Eagles pitcher Jeong Woo-joo pitches during a KBO game against the Samsung Lions at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon on May 6. [YONHAP]

Weiss, after throwing eight scoreless innings on Sunday against the Kiwoom Heroes, said, “I only shook off Lee’s sign once or twice out of 93 pitches.”

Choi also highlighted the work of the analytics department.

“They give us detailed feedback depending on the game situation,” he said. “That really helps the pitchers and fielders do their jobs.

“It’s better to give up a home run than to walk someone. Pitch with confidence.”

Sim, acquired in free agency this offseason, has been instrumental on defense and the basepaths.

“With Sim at shortstop, nearly every grounder becomes a double play,” Yang said. “He changes the momentum and gives our pitchers breathing room.”

Injury-free and resilient

The Eagles’ success has also come from staying healthy.

Among position players, only veteran infielder An Chi-hong has missed time, recovering from a minor wrist injury and a slump.

The Eagles are also committed to playing through pain.

“When someone’s hurt, they usually face two options: rest and leave the roster, or keep playing and let me handle the risk,” conditioning coach Lee Ji-pung said. “We always choose the latter.”

Lee said he routinely asks injured players, “If this were Game 7 of the Korean Series, would you still sit out?” Most reply, “I’d play.”

“My role is to find alternatives based on each player’s condition — whether that’s pinch-hitting, playing DH or taking one or two days off,” Lee said.

Manager Kim also values communication with coach Lee and players.

“The manager listens and respects the opinions of both players and staff,” Lee said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [[email protected]]