Thursday 5/7

NC Dinos at Samsung Lions—2pm CT ESPN2

Here’s some quick notes on today’s teams from the aforementioned article:

NC Dinos: The Dinos are one of the younger teams in the KBO, playing their first season in 2013, but they have emerged as a winner in their short history, making the playoffs in five of their seven seasons. Washington Nationals slugger Eric Thames became a star with the Dinos during his three-season stint from 2014 through 2016, hitting .381/.503/.790 with 47 homers, 42 doubles, 140 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 2016 while winning the league’s MVP award. Dinos outfielder Sung-Bum Na is a client of agent Scott Boras and is expected to pursue a career in the major leagues.

Samsung Lions: The Lions were one of the top teams of the 2010s, pulling off four straight championships from 2011 through 2014, but they have fallen off a cliff since their glory run. In recent years, the international scouting for the Lions has fallen short. “All of the guys they have brought over have been disasters,” Daniel Kim said. Recent international signings for the Lions included Deck McGuire, Justin Haley and Allen Webster, with most of the American pitchers performing below average during their time in the KBO. Former Rays top prospect Hak Ju Lee mans shortstop for the Lions and shows flashes of brilliance despite some inconsistencies on the field.

See you in the comments.