The NC Dinos’ biggest concern is their starting pitching. They’re led by perennial ace Eric Peddie (30), but the loss of Koo Chang-mo (26) to forearm soreness is significant. Peddie and Shin Min-hyuk (24) are the only starters who have lasted since the opening day. It’s important to have a foreign pitcher to back up Pedi, and Taylor Widener (29) hasn’t exactly inspired confidence yet.
Widener made his debut on 30 May (against the Changwon Doosan Bears) after suffering back pain at the end of an exhibition game. Considering the long wait, his current record of 3-2 with an ERA of 5.18 in nine games is certainly disappointing. His ups and downs are the biggest issue.
He’s had four quality starts (QS – 6+ innings of 3 earned runs or less), but he’s been up and down. He’s built up expectations by pitching brilliantly, only to have them disappear. Recently, this trend has become even more pronounced. After pitching six innings and one run against the Suwon KT Wiz on 30 June, he was pulled after 4.1 innings (three runs and two earned runs) against the Gochuk Kiwoom Heroes on 6 July. He then pitched six innings of two-run ball against the Changwon Lotte Giants on the 13th before going down again on the 22nd with four innings of three-run ball against the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles.토토사이트
Widener’s pitching menu is three pitches: a fastball in the low 90s, a changeup, and a slider. While his command is excellent, there have been concerns that his repertoire is monotonous, especially after he allowed four or more walks in his first six games. In his last three starts, he’s been more settled with four walks in 18.1 innings, but at the expense of 15 hits. His walks allowed per inning (WHIP) is 1.32, which is higher than the average for pitchers who complete a full game (1.24).
Despite the concerns, there are no immediate alternatives. Peddie, Widener, and Shin are the best starting cards NC can play at this point. They need to rack up as many wins as possible to stay in the race for the top spot. Widener needs to show stability as soon as possible.