All foreign pitchers are throwing fastballs of 150 km/h. However, is Logan Allen's 'My Way' acceptable, as he must become the foreign ace of the NC Dinos alone and serve as a solid alternative to last year's ace Kyle Hart (San Diego Padres), who took charge of the team?

On the 3rd, Logan of NC took the mound in a game against the Chinshine Brothers at the Asia-Pacific International Baseball Training Center in Tainan, Taiwan, pitching for 3 innings, throwing 40 pitches, and recording 4 hits, 1 walk, and 1 earned run. He did not have any strikeouts.

Logan retired the side in order in the first inning and gave up a single to right field after one out in the second. However, he induced a ground ball double play from the first baseman to finish the second inning. But he faltered in the third and gave up a run. He allowed a hit to the leadoff batter but stopped a stolen base attempt at second. However, after one out, he faced a crisis with runners on first and second due to a walk and a single to center. He added an out with a ground ball from the shortstop, but allowed a timely single to left with two outs and runners on first and third. He handled the last batter of the third inning by recording a fly-out to center, preventing any additional runs.

Every time Logan pitches, the focus is undoubtedly on his velocity. On this day, Logan's highest velocity with his four-seam fastball reached 140 km/h, while the lowest was 136 km/h. He threw 11 four-seam fastballs, 11 sliders, 10 changeups, 4 two-seam fastballs, and 4 cutters, showcasing the variety of pitches he possesses. However, the fact that his velocity remains in the 140 km/h range is certainly concerning.

NC could not re-sign last year's ace Hart. They parted ways with a foreign ace for the third consecutive year, following Drew Rucinski and Eric Peddy. Hart recorded 13 wins, 3 losses, and an earned run average of 2.69 over 26 games, with 182 strikeouts, challenging for four titles, and received both the Golden Glove and the Choi Dong-won Award. Although there were high chances of re-signing, Hart chose to pursue a major league challenge, signing a one-year guaranteed salary of $1 million (about 1.4 billion won) with the San Diego Padres, which could extend to a maximum of 1+1 years and $6 million (about 880 million won), bidding farewell to NC.

Logan was chosen as the replacement for Hart. He signed a contract worth $1 million (including a signing bonus of $140,000, a salary of $560,000, and $300,000 in incentives). Logan's partner, Riley Thompson, throws mid-150 km/h fastballs but has no major league experience.

Instead, Logan has recorded a major league career of 5 seasons, 45 games (15 starts), 124⅓ innings, 5 wins, and 11 losses with an earned run average of 5.79. In Triple-A, he posted 25 wins, 15 losses, and an earned run average of 5.85 over 120 games (69 starts) and recorded no wins and 1 loss with an earned run average of 5.46 over 12 games and 28 innings last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The team brought in Logan, who has a more stable control and throws a variety of pitches, as a number one starter, even though Riley is 'high risk, high return' and throws faster.

However, both his velocity and pitch quality have not risen quickly from the Arizona camp in the U.S. to the Tainan camp in Taiwan. Manager Lee Ho-jun and the coaching staff noted his intention to adjust the pace of his buildup in his own way, and Manager Lee respected this. However, his 140 km/h pitches during bullpen sessions raised eyebrows.

He showed proactive participation in performance analysis meetings with the data team and coaching staff, but he still adhered to his 'My Way' approach in the buildup process. Nonetheless, on the 25th of last month, he reached a top velocity of 144 km/h in a game against the Fubon Guardians, indicating that there were plans, but his velocity dropped to 140 km/h during his second actual mound appearance.

Although his velocity has risen compared to the bullpen sessions held in the U.S. and Taiwan, it remains uncertain whether he can properly elevate his performance in time for the opening game. Logan may not be a fireballer, but he is capable of pitching in the mid-140 km/h range, which is competitive in the KBO League. Last year's average velocity for four-seam fastballs in Major League Baseball was 91.3 mph (about 147 km/h), reaching up to 92.5 mph (about 149 km/h), making this situation puzzling.

Compared to foreign pitchers from other teams, Logan's pace is bound to stand out on the negative side. Even early in March, other pitchers are throwing fastballs in the 150 km/h range. Compared to left-handed foreign pitchers from other teams, his pace is significantly slower. Lotte Giants left-handed foreign player Tucker Davidson reached a top speed of 151 km/h. Doosan Bears left-handed foreign players duo Cole Ervin and Jack Logan recorded top speeds of 150 km/h and 147 km/h, respectively.

Of course, if Logan maintains his current buildup and throws at his original speed by the opening game, there should be no issues. However, there may be unknown variables in the buildup process leading up to the exhibition games. Cold waves, yellow dust, and rain can often lead to cancellations of exhibition games in early March. Scheduled mound appearances could be canceled as a result. NC is naturally concerned about these factors.

Manager Lee Ho-jun intends to keep an eye on Logan for now. He believes that if Logan can consistently reach velocities in the mid-140 km/h range during practice games, there won't be any issues with his buildup. Everyone who has observed Logan, including Manager Lee, regards him as an intelligent player. It is believed that Logan has his own plans. He has requested that they respect his preparation process, and the team and Manager Lee have honored that. However, if results do not come, it will all be in vain. Logan's performance in the exhibition games has become even more crucial.

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