SSG Landers to bring Avila back after strong showing

The SSG Landers announced Friday they will bring back pitcher Pedro Avila for at least one more season following his strong 2026 outing.

The Landers said the new contract with Avila will run for a maximum of two years but said further details will be announced later.

Avila joined the Landers in July to replace slumping starter Anthony Veneziano. In 14 starts, Avila went 9-2 with a 1.44 ERA, striking out 93 batters in 93 2/3 innings. The Venezuelan right-hander also threw two complete games to lead the KBO. And 13 of Avila's 14 outings were quality starts, in which he threw at least six innings and allowed three or fewer earned runs. He was not charged with an earned run in seven of his starts.

“Avila showed a strong desire to keep playing in Korea,” the Landers said. “He also showed tremendous ability and ate up a lot of innings for us. We considered many different factors and decided on a contract that can run for up to two years.”

With Avila leading the rotation starting from July, the Landers climbed from ninth place in the 10-team KBO at the end of the first half to sixth place by the end of the season. They posted the league's second-best record in the second half, with 34 wins, 22 losses and two ties.

Yonhap