Offense is taking a step back at the Little League World Series (LLWS) this year. Pitchers are zipping through opposing lineups, helped by a new rule meant to boost participation that calls for everyone on the roster to be in the batting order.
Yet that is not the only reason. Some of the players just throw hard, such as Taiwan’s Fan Chen-jun.
After the LLWS hit its 20-game mark on Sunday, the tournament’s combined run total stood at 140, significantly fewer than the 187 runs scored through that point last year — the only other time the tournament field has been 20 teams.
Photo: AP
Until Thursday, a perfect game had not been thrown in the LLWS since 2017.
Then on Monday, the team from Taoyuan’s Guishan Elementary School, representing the Asia-Pacific, took on Japan.
Fan started for Taiwan and dominated, striking out six in three no-hit innings. Some of his pitches were clocked by ESPN at more than 80mph (129kph), which — given the shorter distance from the mound to home than in the major leagues — looks like something over 100mph to the batter.
Photo: AP
The 12-year-old’s fastest ball reached 82mph, which would seem like a 107mph fireball in MLB, ESPN said.
To compare, the Minnesota Twins’ Jhoan Duran last month uncorked the fastest pitch in the MLB so far this year and the 11th-fastest since pitch tracking began in 2008, at 104.8mph.
Taiwan beat Japan 10-0, ending the game in four innings under the 10-run rule.
“[Fan] has athletic talent, more than anybody we have seen,” Taiwan manager Lee Cheng-ta said through a translator. “He has the coordination. He has the speed. He has the jumping ability. He has a lot of future to come in baseball.”
Teams have noticed a few major differences contributing to a lack of offensive production compared to previous years, none likely as obvious as a rule announced earlier this season that says batting orders must include every player on roster.
“I guess [the drop in runs] might be because the best hitters get fewer at-bats a game,” Venezuela manager Jannio Gutierrez said through a translator.
In previous years, offensive stars have stolen the spotlight, but this year, those potential household names have been typically limited to just two at-bats per game.
Teams with strong pitching staffs have owned the rule change. Others have struggled to keep up.
After a second place finish in last year’s LLWS, Curacao are one win away from the final on the international side of the bracket.
Taiwan are set to square off against them at 1pm today.
Despite winning each of its two games by 2-1, Curacao’s pitching has made championship hopes a serious possibility.
“Our main focus of the team is defense — that defense wins games. They concentrate on getting runs, but they focus [more] on defense and winning that way,” Curacao manager Ildion Martina said.
Martina built Curacao with his eyes set on sturdy pitching.
That strategy was on full display Monday as Nasir El-Ossais hit a two-run, go-ahead homer in the sixth to help lead Curacao to a 2-1 victory over Venezuela.
“I just tell them every time, ‘We can’t win a game 0-0,’” Martina said. “You have to put at least one run on the board to win the game.”
For teams playing against Taiwan or Japan, it has been nearly impossible to even touch the scoreboard. While Taiwan routed Japan on Monday, prior to that the Japanese had been nearly just as tough.
Taiwan have not allowed a run through two games, and Japan gave up just one through its first two contests before falling on Monday.
Teams that have never faced Asian pitching mechanics — typically known for slower windups and a quirky, stop-start leg hitch — have made it a point of emphasis in practice, but few have found success in games.
Additional reporting by CNA
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
RSS