From frontrunners to upsets, NC's dramatic 2023 race
The 'Dinosaur Legion' NC Dinos put a disappointing end to their dramatic 2023 journey. In the fifth game of the 2023 Baseball Playoffs (PO) held at Katie Weeds Park in Suwon on April 5, NC took the lead in the first inning and lost 2-3.
Coincidentally, the series outcome also summarized the playoffs, as NC won the first two games, but lost three straight to KT, giving them a 'reverse sweep'. NC, which was once on a nine-game postseason winning streak, was unable to close out the final game, ending their dream of advancing to the Korean Series for the first time in three years.
NC's 2023 season was a series of "reversals," both positive and negative. After winning the inaugural title in 2020, the team had been on a downward spiral for two seasons, finishing seventh to sixth in the standings, and faced a number of challenges heading into the season. The team was criticized for being weakened by the loss of Yang Ji-ji, Noh Jin-hyuk, Won Jong-hyun, and Lee Myung-ki in the free agent (FA) market. The team also had to replace three foreign players, including Drew Luchinski, who left the team.
Add to that the fact that Park Se-hyuk, a free agent catcher signed to replace Yang, foreign pitcher Taylor Widener, and homegrown ace Koo Chang-mo all suffered injuries that prevented them from contributing much to the team. Heading into the season, few experts predicted NC as a top-five team, and some even predicted them to finish last.
In fact, NC has had a rollercoaster ride since the start of the season. They went 14-12 (.538) in April, 9-11 (.450) in May, 13-1 (.591) in June, and 7-10 (.412) in July. The team remained in the top five at the end of the first half of the season, but with SSG, KT, Dusan, and KIA in a tight battle for second place, it was not a sure thing that they would make the postseason.
However, NC came from behind in August and September, going 27-1-1 (.628). Despite a late start that forced them to fight to the finish, they finished the regular season in fourth place, just ahead of Dusan, and secured their first trip to fall baseball in three years, as well as home field advantage in the wild card round. 보스토토 주소
In particular, ace Pedi became the best foreign player in the league this season, going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA and striking out 209 batters, achieving the pitching triple crown of 20 wins and 200 Ks for the first time in 37 years. In the batting order, veterans Son As-seop, Park Min-woo, and Park Geon-woo anchored the batting lineup, while young players such as Seo Ho-cheol and Kim Joo-won in the infield and Shin Min-hyuk, Ryu Jin-wook, and Kim Young-gyu on the mound developed and became part of the first team. By the end of the season, the team also found a new starting catcher in Kim Hyung-jun.
The real start of the NC surge came in fall baseball. NC clinched the wild card in one game with a 14-9 win over Dusan. In the semifinals, they defied the odds by winning three straight games against the defending champions, #3 SSG, to complete the sweep and upset.
In the playoffs, they faced second-place KT. Pro.