By MARK SIMON

Baseball is a simple game – you try to pitch the ball well, hit the ball well and field the ball well. If you have a team that does all three, you’re likely championship caliber.

This has shown itself early in the KBO. The teams with the best combination of hitting the ball hard, limiting hard-hit contact, and fielding the ball well are the top two teams in the standings.

The NC Dinos’ hitters have the fourth-highest hard-hit rate, the third lowest hard-hit rate allowed, and the most Defensive Runs Saved.

The LG Twins hitters’ rank first in hard-hit rate, their pitchers rank second in lowest hard-hit rate allowed and their defense ranks fifth in Defensive Runs Saved.

The next three teams in the standings, the Doosan Bears, the Kiwoom Heroes, and the Kia Tigers, are separated by one game. As you can see in the chart below, the Bears don’t rank impressively in any category. The Heroes hit the ball hard and field the ball well, but allow a lot of hard-hit balls. The Tigers have pitched well, but don’t hit the ball hard or field it well.

If you were going to make a case for a team in the lower half of the league, the SK Wyverns may be one that could make a move. They pitch and field at rates that rank in the upper-half, but don’t hit the ball hard as often as their counterparts.

Team Ranks By Statistic

—