Pittsburgh Pirates Korean major leaguer Bae Ji-hwan (24) once again showed off the power of ‘baseball’.
In the 2023 Major League Baseball home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers held on the 26th (Korean time) at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Bae Ji-hwan started as the 8th hitter and center fielder, making a big success with 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 steals in 4 at-bats.
It was a day 메이저사이트where Bae Ji-hwan’s quick feet stood out. Bae Ji-hwan, who went on base with an infield hit to the second baseman from his first at-bat in the bottom of the second inning, succeeded in stealing second base, and even scored with a timely double hit by Brian Hayes to the left. It was a goal that turned Pittsburgh 3-2.
It was as if the same scene had been recreated. In the bottom of the 4th inning, he reached base with an infield hit to the first baseman, succeeded in stealing the second base, and succeeded in scoring with a right-handed hit by Austin Hedges. Pittsburgh took a 4-2 lead thanks to Bae Ji-hwan’s score and was able to run away to 7-2 by scoring 4 runs only in the 4th inning. Bae Ji-hwan’s foot was at the beginning of the ‘Big Inning’.
On the same day, Pittsburgh local magazine ‘Trip Live’ also praised Bae Ji-hwan, saying, “Bae Ji-hwan hit another infield hit in the bottom of the 4th inning, succeeded in stealing second base again, and succeeded in scoring with Hedges’ right-handed hit. . Although Bae Ji-hwan made a mistake in defense in the top of the second inning, it was a bout in which he could reconfirm the power of kick baseball, his biggest weapon.
Bae Ji-hwan, who has already recorded 7 stolen bases this season alone, is showing a pace that can record 47 stolen bases based on 162 games. At this pace, it is expected that he will be able to easily break the record for the most stolen bases in a season by a Korean major leaguer. The 22 stolen bases left by Choo Shin-soo in 2010 still remain as the all-time record.
Again, the key is the on-base ability. Bae Ji-hwan hit a multi-hit that day, but with a batting average of .224 and an on-base percentage of .288 this season, he needs to work harder to establish himself as a full-time major leaguer. Still, he has an unrivaled stealing ability as he succeeded in stealing 7 bases in 8 attempts this year, so if he only develops his on-base ability, he will be on the alert as the most threatening runner in the league.
