‘Little Giant’ Bae Ji-hwan (24) has a great influence on Pittsburgh. The locals are also shedding light on the hidden value of Bae Ji-hwan.
On the 1st (Korean time), in the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) away game against the Washington Nationals held at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, USA, Bae Ji-hwan started as a second baseman, batting 8, recording 1 hit, 1 run and 1 base in 4 at-bats.
He maintained a 0.250 season batting average and season steals of 11, and he jumped to second place overall in MLB. Among them, only one failure was high in purity.
Pittsburgh media ‘Pittsburgh Baseball Now’ focused on him on the 1st in an article titled ‘Bae Ji-hwan’s perfect playing style for Pittsburgh in the new era’.
The media explained that he joined the first team with his versatility, even though it was unclear whether he joined the opening roster before the season. It has been further expanded with the new rules,” he said.
Ahead of this season, MLB gave good news to fast runners. While increasing the size of the base, limiting the number of pickoffs by pitchers. Along with this, Bae Ji-hwan, who has increased his chances to participate, is running frantically and spreading the fear of fast-footed baseball.
According to the media, Bae Ji-hwan said, “I was used to it because I played in Triple A for about 80% of the season (where the rules were already changed),” and laughed, saying, “Big league pitchers will hate that, but I like that restriction.”
Bae Ji-hwan’s biggest strength has been his speed since his professional debut, but he explained that he has displayed that strength without regret this season. According to Statcast, his sprint speed is 29.3 feet per second, which is 14th overall in the major leagues, and both the home-to-first base time (4.07 seconds) and 90-foot (about 27m) running time (3.76 seconds) are both second in the league. Simple speed is so fast, but as a left-handed hitter, he has a lot of infield hits, and his running sense is added, so stealing bases are mass-produced.
What’s more important is that it has a big impact not only on you but also on the team. Pittsburgh succeeded in stealing 41 bases, the most in the big leagues this season, which also influenced the result of leading the National League (NL) in scoring. Amid these results, Pittsburgh is running 1st in the NL Central Division with 20 wins and 9 losses.
The media said, “Pittsburgh was the most aggressive team on base at the beginning of the season. Nobody was afraid to run. Carlos Santana, 37, also recorded two steals in three games in a row, but it was his first steal since 2021.”
Bae Ji-hwan said, “I think a lot of people were sleeping because they were stealing bases. They were interested in more home runs and strikeouts.” “I think in baseball, one crazy run can change the game. It’s really good to see players making it,” he said.
Its existence itself is a threat. The media said, “Even if Bae Ji-hwan does not attempt to steal, he still has a lot of influence on the game. “he said.
Bae Ji-hwan said, “In the big leagues, everyone throws and hits the ball well, so we think about each other more. But I feel like I can help my teammates when I’m on the floor.”
Finally, the media introduced Bae Ji-hwan’s remarks, saying, “Bae Ji-hwan’s ability helped Pittsburgh start this season strong. Bae Ji-hwan’s message about continuing this is simple.” “It’s just like now, that’s what we’re all doing right now,” he encouraged his teammates. ㅋㅋㅋ벳
With a batting average of 0.250, an on-base percentage of 0.302, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.652, Bae Ji-hwan is still difficult to see as a hitter with high batting power. However, you can clearly read through local reactions that he cannot be evaluated based on the numbers he sees. The media paid attention to his quick feet, but Bae Ji-hwan can play a variety of defensive positions and is expanding the manager’s options by performing fantastic defenses every day. The value of Bae Ji-hwan is increasing day by day.