The Hanwha Eagles have been on a rollercoaster ride at the start of the 2026 KBO League season, with high hopes for a championship push quickly tempered by a series of pitching woes and roster shakeups. After a promising opening series sweep against the Kiwoom Heroes, the Eagles have been forced to confront the harsh realities of an unstable bullpen and the sudden loss of a key foreign starter, Owen White, to injury.
On April 6, 2026, Hanwha made the tough call to demote right-handed pitchers Kim Do-bin and Kim Beom-jun from the first team roster. Kim Do-bin, who joined the Eagles as a developmental player in 2024, had made a splash in the opening game against Kiwoom on March 28, striking out Trenton Brooks to escape a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning. He followed up with another clutch relief appearance on March 29, retiring two batters with runners in scoring position. However, the wheels came off in the following week. Kim struggled in three straight outings—against KT Wiz on March 31 and April 1, and then against the Doosan Bears on April 5—allowing a combined 10 runs, 3 hits, and an eye-watering 10 walks over just three innings. The control issues proved too much, forcing the Eagles to send him down for further development.
Kim Beom-jun, who gave up a run in two-thirds of an inning against Doosan, also found himself off the first team. The roster moves were part of a broader wave of changes across the league, with Lotte Giants demoting rookie Shin Dong-geon after a shaky debut and Kiwoom Heroes sending down Choi Jae-young, who was batting just .231 in his first six games.
Pitching instability has been the defining story for Hanwha in the early going. The bullpen, in particular, has been a source of major concern. Over the past week, the Eagles’ relievers have posted a collective ERA of 10.35, a stark contrast to the starting rotation’s 4.58. Walks have piled up at an alarming rate—61 free passes, the most in the league, averaging over seven per game. These control problems have fed a vicious cycle of mounting errors (11 so far, also a league high), defensive lapses, and big innings for opponents. The team ERA stands at a painful 7.40, a far cry from the 3.55 mark that powered Hanwha to a runner-up finish in 2025.
The loss of Owen White on March 31 only deepened the crisis. White, signed to fill one of the two crucial foreign pitcher slots, injured his left hamstring while covering first base against KT Wiz. Diagnosed with a six-week recovery, White’s absence forced manager Kim Kyung-moon to scramble for solutions. The Eagles quickly moved to sign American right-hander Jack Cushing on April 4, hoping his reputation for control (2.7 walks per nine innings in the minors) can bring stability to the rotation. Cushing joined the club on April 5, but with paperwork and conditioning to sort out, his debut is still pending.
In the meantime, Hanwha turned to third-year lefty Hwang Jun-seo, who started in White’s place on April 5 against Doosan. Hwang, a former No.1 overall pick, seized the opportunity, striking out seven over 4⅓ innings and allowing just two runs. While he didn’t go deep enough for the win, his performance offered a rare bright spot and a glimpse at the team’s pitching depth beyond the veterans.
The bullpen’s struggles, however, have overshadowed these positives. During the series against KT Wiz from March 31 to April 2, Hanwha was swept in three high-scoring affairs (4-9, 11-14, 8-13). Even when the offense exploded for 14 hits and 11 runs in the second game, the relievers surrendered 12 runs after starter Ryu Hyun-jin exited. Kim Do-bin, among others, was unable to stop the bleeding, giving up three runs in one inning on April 1. The lack of defined roles and over-reliance on inexperienced arms like Park Jun-young and Won Jong-hyuk only exacerbated the chaos. As one local report put it, "the bullpen’s collapse and the lack of clarity in roles have fueled anxiety and made it nearly impossible for the team to hold leads."
Offensively, the Eagles have their own headaches. Cleanup hitter Noh Si-hwan, fresh off an 11-year, 30.7 billion won contract—the longest and richest in KBO history—has struggled mightily, batting just .184 with 16 strikeouts and only two RBIs. Despite strong starts from Jonathan Peraza (.444 average, .512 OBP) and Moon Hyun-bin (.367 average, .486 OBP), Noh’s power has yet to surface, and his high strikeout rate (over 42%) has left a gaping hole in the heart of the lineup. Still, the supporting cast has stepped up: Kang Baek-ho (.270, 2 HR, 11 RBIs), Chae Eun-sung (.355), Ha Joo-seok (.367), and Shim Woo-jun (.300, 2 HR, 9 RBIs) have provided enough punch to keep Hanwha competitive on most nights.
Looking ahead, Hanwha faces a daunting six-game stretch: a three-game set against the red-hot SSG Landers (April 7-9) followed by a home series with the Kia Tigers (April 10-12). SSG, sitting atop the standings with a 7-1 record, boasts a .310 team batting average and a solid 4.38 ERA. Their only weakness is a starting rotation ERA of 5.54, offering Hanwha a potential opening if the offense can strike early. The Kia Tigers, meanwhile, have struggled to score (team average .232, just 27 runs in eight games) despite a strong rotation (3.35 ERA). The Eagles are hoping that if they can take the opener against Kia’s ace, Allar, a sweep is not out of the question.
All eyes, however, are on Jack Cushing’s arrival. If the American righty can deliver steady innings and limit walks, he could be the stabilizing force Hanwha desperately needs. The memory of last year’s successful midseason signing, Ryan Weiss (16 games, 91⅔ innings, 5-5, 3.73 ERA), offers a template for what the Eagles hope Cushing can achieve.
For now, the Eagles are in a holding pattern—searching for bullpen answers, awaiting Cushing’s debut, and hoping Noh Si-hwan finds his swing. With manager Kim Kyung-moon under pressure to reorganize the pitching staff and restore confidence, the coming week could prove pivotal for Hanwha’s season trajectory. If the bullpen can steady and the offense continues to produce, the Eagles’ championship dreams might just stay alive.
As the season heads into its second full week, Hanwha fans are holding their breath and watching closely, eager to see whether this team can weather the storm and soar once more.