With the Super Round of the Premier12 about to begin, let's take an opportunity to dive into the Opening Round statistics. Group A in Guadalajara was a slugfest, while Group C in Seoul saw three of four teams with an ERA below three.
Estadio Charros de Jalisco proved to be a hitters paradise during the Opening Round. The Dominican Republic, Mexico, Netherlands and USA combined for 20 home runs in six games. The teams from Group B and C hit only five homers in the other 12 games of the Opening Round. USA alone hit 10 dingers in Guadalajara.
It’s also showcased by the individual stats, with seven of the top nine slugging percentages coming from Group A players. Erik Kratz (USA) and his 2 homers lead the list with 1.500, followed by Charlie Valerio (DOM) and the impressive Seiya Suzuki (JPN) with 1.222 and 1.182 respectively. Only Jung-Hoo Lee, from Korea (.778), played in Group C.
Even in a hitter-friendly ballpark located 5,100 feet above sea level, Mexico's pitching staff was outstanding, posting a 1.88 ERA and allowing only five runs to finish Group A undefeated.
Korea's pitching staff has has been the most dominant of the tournament so far. Playing at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the defending champions allowed only one run in three games, posting a 0.33 ERA.
Japan’s pitchers has been impressive as well, with a 1.67 ERA. The only issued three walks, while fanning 25 opponents, for an outstanding 8.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
From the individual point of view, during the Opening Round there were some impressive pitching performances.
Canadian starter Phillippe Aumont had the best outing of the Premier12 so far. The right hander threw a two-hit, eightinning gem against Cuba, leading his team to a 3-0 win.
Korean left-hander Hyeonjong Yang also had an impressive performance in the opener against Australia. He pitched six innings of one-hit ball, with 10 strikeouts.
Yang was not the only pitcher with a double-digit strikeout performance. The Dominican Republic opening day starter Enny Romero also recorded 10 strikeouts against Mexico, but he was charged with the loss against Mexico in 4.1 innings of work. He allowed five hits, one of them a grand slam by Esteban Quiroz in the bottom of the third inning.
Yi Chang also had a quality start for Chinese Taipei against Venezuela. He pitched 7 scoreless innings with four hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
See the stats of the Premier12 here.
