Was last year’s rise an illusion. I couldn’t believe it was the performance of the runner-up team in the 2025 season. This is the story of Hanwha Eagles, the “Eagle Corps.”
Hanwha, led by head coach Kim Kyung-moon, suffered a 6-13 defeat by manager Lee Sung-yong’s SSG Landers in an away game of the 2026 professional baseball KBO League regular season at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 27th.
It didn’t start bad. In the top of the first inning, he scored four points with his opponent’s battery foil, Kim Tae-yeon’s ground ball RBI, Heo In-seo’s timely RBI single to left, and Hwang Young-mook’s sacrifice fly to left field. He seemed to take the lead early on.
사진 확대 Hanwha, led by head coach Kim Kyung-moon, has been suffering from a severe slump recently. Photo = Reporter Kim Young-gu 
사진 확대 On June 3, the “2026 Professional Baseball” match between the Hanwha Eagles and the Doosan Bears was held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The match was held in a 3-3 draw. Photo = Reporter Chun Jung-hwan
But the smile didn’t last long. In the bottom of the second inning, starting pitcher Bruce Zimmerman was hit by a left-handed double by Jihoon Choi, and Ahn Sang-hyun was allowed a two-run shot to the left with a distance of 120m (season No. 3). In the bottom of the third inning, Jeon also donated a three-run home run (Season 7) to Jeon Eui-san with a driving distance of 125 meters.
Hanwha didn’t give up either. In the top of the fourth inning, leadoff hitter Heo In-seo fired a 115-meter-long solo shot to left-center wall (17th of the season).
However, in the bottom of the fifth inning, the ordeal came again. In particular, the mistake was regrettable. Lee Min-woo, who took the mound in relief of Cho Dong-wook on the second and third bases with one out, which led to Jeon Ui-san’s heavy hit and Cho Hyung-woo’s heavy double, gave Lim Geun-woo a timely RBI single to the left, when left fielder Han Ji-yoon’s ridiculous throwing error came out. In the meantime, even Cho Hyung-woo stepped home.
He couldn’t laugh even in the bottom of the sixth inning. After one out, Kim Seo-hyun was hit by Guillermo Herredia’s left-handed double. Kim Jae-hwan then drew a fly ball, but right fielder Lee Won-seok allowed him to get on base due to a catch error.
사진 확대 On May 28, 2025, the “2025 KBO League” match between the Hanwha Eagles and the LG Twins was held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Hanwha Kim Seo-hyun is pitching hard in the bottom of the ninth inning. Photo = Reporter Chun Jung-hwan
Then Kim Seo-hyun was shaken. Kim Jae-hwan’s pinch runner Chae Hyun-woo stole second base and Jeon Eui-san’s walk made him lose with a foil with the bases loaded with one out. With two outs and bases loaded, which continued with Cho Hyung-woo’s walk and Jihoon Choi’s strikeout, he bowed his head, allowing Lim Geun-woo a timely hit with two RBIs.
Later, Hanwha had to accept the defeat by allowing an additional three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with Cho Hyung-woo’s one-run right-handed double and Ahn Sang-hyun’s two-run right-handed double. After two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Park Jung-hyun drew a 105m distance left-wall solo arch (season No. 4), but it had nothing to do with the game.
Hanwha’s main loser was the fielder’s team, who was shaken by making as many as three errors. Pitchers, including starter Zimmerman (two hits, two homers, two strikeouts and five runs in 2.2 innings), who had the worst pitching, also collapsed, and the batters also did not show any signs of doing so.
As a whole, the result of suffering from such a severe slump was so painful. As a result, Hanwha, which has lost four games in a row, fell to eighth place with its 60th loss (49 wins and 3 draws). It is a ranking that can never be trusted when it comes to the performance of the team that finished second last year. Far from fall baseball, he is now in a position to worry about the pursuit of ninth-ranked SSG (48 wins, 5 draws and 64 losses). The gap between the two teams is only 2.5 games apart. Hanwha’s fall continues.
사진 확대 Will manager Kim Kyung-moon’s Hanwha rebound in the rest of the season. Photo = Reporter Kim Young-gu
[Lee Hanjoo, MK Sports Reporter]