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Posted at 4:30 PM EST

Kiwoom Heroes -1½ +110 over SK Wyverns

5:30 AM EST. SK is now 1-10 after losing its ninth straight game on Saturday night. The KBO does not play on Sunday’s so SK Wyverns has had a full day to think about its rancid start to the year. Psychologically, this team is in massive trouble and we cannot even imagine how difficult it is going to be to get that next win. To make matters worse, SK is on the road and they’ll be facing a pretty good hurler and a pretty good team too. 

While the hitters lean old, the KBO has several young and exciting domestic starting pitchers. We’re not sure who thought it was a good idea to let Choi Won-tae take his lumps as a 19-year-old, when he compiled a 7.23 ERA in 61 innings, but perhaps the experience helped him settle in. He’s now produced three solid seasons on the trot, and unusually for someone so young, it’s his feel to pitch that stands out. The changeup is his best weapon, a sinking offspeed pitch with a little fade that he’s adept at running off barrels in the zone or burying in the dirt if he needs a whiff. His strikeout numbers are steady so far this year (10 in 12 innings) while being extremely stingy with walks. Choi has walked two batters over said 12 frames this year while compiling a 3.66 xERA. Choi has become one of the best in the business at suppressing home runs, and with SK gripping their bats tighter than ever, he’s in line to dominate with the kind of junk he delivers. 

After a horrific pair of late-season garbage-time appearances with the Rays at the end of last year, Ricardo Pinto and his mid-90s heater were stashed in Triple-A by the Giants in case of emergency. Pinto is perhaps the surprise signing of the year. The Wyverns were equipped with Henry Sosa, the league’s longtime veteran, who posted a respectable 4.01 ERA and struck out a batter an inning but Sosa’s conditioning was poor and he struggled in the playoffs. He also wanted to be paid in accordance with his talents and contributions, so the team went with the more affordable (and far younger) Pinto, who they hope to make their next long-term star.

So far, not so good. Pinto’s talent is questionable at best. He struggled with his command in the upper minors and in his brief callups, and he has always tossed his fair share of meatballs. He also throws 95 mph, which translates into about 99 in Hangeul. Guys like Pinto are not that hard to find (throws hard, can’t find the plate) and yet they don’t tend to cross the Pacific. Pinto has walked seven batters and hit another one in 11.1 frames this year while striking out just four. He comes in with a misleading 3.18 ERA but his xERA of 6.22 paints a clearer picture. Dude has an awful 1.50 WHIP and while it’s just two starts, there is nothing in his profile that suggests his ERA is sustainable. Ricardo Pinto is about to blow up.

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