We had three easy hits to start off the week with a sweep. That's how last week started and I remember how the week ended up, so I have to keep grinding. Please keep in mind that there is a large percentage of rain expected for every game on Wednesday's slate so please be wary that if the games even play they could be hampered by poor weather conditions.
- Tuesday, June 23: 3-0
- 2020 KBO Season: 61-36-1 (62%)
I can't stress it enough that if you're reading my analysis to make the best decision for you and not just blindly tail. If you don't feel comfortable with one of my picks, why would you take it? I'm not a professional, nor have I said to be one, I just value stats and information to make educated decisions. For new and old readers, just assume that every pick is one unit. Not only is this league volatile, but the game of baseball is incredibly volatile. Bankroll management is key.
Today, I'll be bringing you my KBO analysis, advice, and best bets for games on Wednesday, June 24th starting at 5:30 am EST. If you haven’t already, check out www.mykbostats.com; it’s is a fantastic one-stop-shop for us in America to get our KBO fix. You can also check out our KBO DFS lineup picks article after this one. Also, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @RotoStevieJ to talk shop or chew me out if a pick loses.
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Hanwha Eagles at Samsung Lions (-200)
O/U: 10
Probable Pitchers
Hanwha: Si-hwan Jang (1-4, 6.89 ERA)
Samsung: Yun-dong Heo (2-0, 3.60 ERA)
Hanwha stunned bettors two weekends ago by taking both ends of a doubleheader against Doosan. They opened a few more eyes by playing close with NC last weekend, including taking the second game. They got smoked by Samsung on Tuesday, though they did put up a fight from the sixth inning onward. The 38-year-old vet Tae-kyun Kim continues to be the only semblance of consistency for this lineup and he's hit just two homers with 10 RBI this season. Soo-kwang Noh has been a solid table setter but there's no one behind him capable of driving him in.
Starter Si-hwan Jang has been the opposite of good so far but he has at least a few serviceable outings for the Eagles. His last time out he gave up just two runs through five innings against LG. However looking back a little further, he hasn't made it past the fifth inning since May 13, or five starts, and has given up 20 earned runs in that span. Jang kept the ball in the yard early on in the season but has given up four in his last three outings. His ERA is through the roof and while his 5.80 FIP hints he's been just a tad unlucky, I'm not going to act like that makes him some bounceback candidate.
Samsung scored double-digit runs in back-to-back games for the first time all season Tuesday. Of course they may have lost Tyler Saladino (back) for a few days after being forced to leave, but five different hitters drove in a run in the win. If Saladino misses any extensive time, Ja-wook Koo will need to step up even more. The 27-year-old is hitting .315 on the year but has just four RBI in his L10. And as a team over their L10, they've averaged 6.4 runs per game which is tied for the most in the KBO in that stretch.
Lions start Yoon-dong Heo was the No. 5 draft pick this year and after spending about a month in the minors, the rookie has made three starts over the last two weeks. He shutout Lotte in his debut before giving up three runs to LG and Doosan; all three starts were five innings on the road. He's still getting his sea-legs under him and his control has suffered. He has a 4/8 K/BB over 15 innings which could be worrisome but we still have to see some more from the 19-year-old to get a real gauge on his talent. Luckily he'll have one of the better bullpens in the league to back him up.
We're joining the fade Hanwha crowd here because they are that bad. You could argue that Jang gives the Eagles a pitching advantage based off of experience alone, but I'll take expected talent over this Hanwha lineup any day. Samsung might also be a little banged up, but they've gotten whole team efforts over the last week. From a trend perspective, 93% of Samsung's wins have been by two or more runs, including 10 of their last 11 victories. Meanwhile, 92% of Hanwha's losses have been by two or more runs.
Pick(s): Samsung -1.5 (+112, Fanduel Sportsbook)
Doosan Bears (-155) at SK Wyverns
O/U: 10
Probable Pitchers
Doosan: Hee-kwan Yoo (5-1, 3.68 ERA)
SK: Jong-hoon Park (3-2, 4.40 ERA)
The Doosan Bears jumped ahead early Tuesday, scoring six runs through the first five innings before winning 9-2. Kun-woo Park and Jae-hwan Kim did most of the damage, driving in three and four, respectively, but eight of their starting nine tallied at least one base knock. Kim slugged a home run, but as a team, the Bears actually average 1.4 homers a game, so with a positive matchup Wednesday, it's possible we see more. They're hitting righties at a .274 clip, which you'd expect better of but with top bats Jose Fernandez, Joo-hwan Choi, and Kim batting from the left side, there is still plenty of upside here.
SK got five innings out of Tae-hoon Kim Tuesday but their bullpen still needed to throw almost 90 pitches over four innings. Now they look to Jong-hoon Park to pull them out of their funk, aka a seven-game losing streak. Park has had some solid outings this year, including arguably his best start on the road against Doosan May 26 when he held them to two runs over seven innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. Keep in mind Doosan's home/road splits in this scenario. Then his last two outings have been his worst; allowing nine runs on 12 hits over 11 innings of work but did have a 14/4 K/BB.
Park is much better than who Doosan faced Tuesday, but his last two starts haven't been up-to-par. Doosan's lineup is deadly on the road and just because they're facing a slightly better arm doesn't mean I don't like their chances of scoring more than five runs again.
Pick(s): Doosan Bears Team Total Over 5.5 (-107, Draftkings Sportsbook)
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