Right-handed pitcher Eric Peddy (30, Chicago White Sox), a former NC Dinos player, expressed confidence in returning to MLB.In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times on the 6th (Korean time), Peddie said, “My confidence is higher than ever before,” and “I will maintain this confidence and pitch again in the major leagues.”Peddie signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the MLB White Sox after the 2023 season.Recalling the 2022 season when he played for the Washington Nationals, Peddie said, “I didn’t feel as good back then as I do now,” and compared, “I am strong and healthy now. My velocity has returned and I have a sharp pitch that I never had before.” He confidently said, “I believe (success in Korea) will continue well.”White Sox pitching coach Eden Katz also said in an interview, “Peddy has become a completely different person.”
In particular, he mentioned Peddie’s ground ball production rate (70%) in the 2023 season and predicted, “We will be able to induce a lot of ground balls in the major leagues. It will be a big advantage for our team.”Coach Katz cited diversification of pitch types as a factor in Peddie’s rebound and analyzed, “Instead of reducing the use of fastballs, he installed a sweeper and also changed the change-up grip.”Peddie agreed, saying, “The combination of sinker, cut fastball, sweeper, and changeup allowed me to achieve great success in Korea.” Peddie described his KBO League experience as “amazing.”He expressed his gratitude, saying, “(At the time of my transfer to Korea), I needed a place where I could study and develop my pitching while pitching many innings. Korea provided me with that opportunity.”
Recalling the cheering culture of Korean baseball fans, he said, “The atmosphere there is unrivaled.”Last year, Peddie wore the NC uniform and swept the categories of wins (20 wins), ERA (2.00), and strikeouts (209), becoming the fourth pitcher in history to win three awards.Fedi, who became the first foreign player to simultaneously achieve 20 wins and 200 strikeouts in a season, won the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) with overwhelming support.Peddie’s career MLB records are 21 wins, 33 losses, and an average ERA of 5.41 after pitching 454⅓ innings in 102 games (88 starts) over 5 seasons.This year, the White Sox are expected to compete for starting positions with former Doosan Bears 스포츠토토존 player Chris Flexen, Dylan Sis, Michael Kopech, and Touki Toussaint.