The potential of Bae Ji-hwan (24, Pittsburgh Pirates) is highly regarded in the United States.안전놀이터
“Bae has shown a lot of good things in Pittsburgh this season,” wrote Lumber on Fansided’s Twitter account on March 23 (KST). Now he needs to refine his skills.”
Through 80 games, Bae is batting .241 with 55 hits, two home runs, 21 RBIs, 20 doubles, 40 runs scored, a .311 OPS and a .627 slugging percentage.
The hot streak was cut short by an ankle injury. He felt pain in his ankle on July 2 against Milwaukee and was placed on the disabled list the next day.
After recovering from the injury, Bae has been playing rehab games in Triple-A since the past two days to get a feel for the game. In nine Triple-A games, he batted .344 (11-for-32) with one home run, one RBI, one double, nine runs scored and a .993 OPS.
After making his comeback on April 19 against Minnesota, Bae is batting .214 (14-for-33) with two doubles and three RBIs in four games since returning.
“Pittsburgh rookie Bae Ji-hwan has bounced between second base and center field this season. ”Some fans don’t think he’s ready to play in the big leagues. But in my opinion, this team needs more of him.”
He went on to explain why. “Bae’s slash line doesn’t jump off the page, but he has the ability to be very successful on the basepaths and on defense. His 20 stolen bases rank 25th in the National League and he is one of only two players in the top 25 who have played fewer than 80 games this season. Bae’s short-range speed ranks in the top 3% in the majors. He’s the fastest second baseman in the league.”
He didn’t stop there. ”Another thing that Bae has going for him is his arm strength,” says Lumberton. According to Baseball Servant, he ranks 25th among center fielders in arm strength, which helps him play both second base and center field. His velocity has led him to make some spectacular plays in the outfield this season.”
There is a downside. His ability to handle changeups. ”The area where Bae struggles is hitting changeups. He has a .121 batting average against the changeup this season (0.087 against curveballs, 0.174 against sliders, and 0.083 against sweepers). He’s hitting .291 against the fastball and .344 against the changeup. If he gets better, he has the potential to be an above-average hitter in the big leagues.” ”What Bae needs now is repetition, he needs to see more changeups and swing less often at pitches that are high and away from him. If he can make these changes, he has the potential to be a young core player for Pittsburgh.”