Bae Ji-hwan, who is treated as useless, is starting again, but he is on the bench for two consecutive days...I can't avoid going to the minor league at this rate

Apr 02, 2025

Bae Ji-hwan, who is treated as useless, is starting again, but he is on the bench for two consecutive days...I can't avoid going to the minor league at this rate
AFP Yonhap News



Bae Ji-hwan, who is treated as useless, is starting again, but he is on the bench for two consecutive days...I can't avoid going to the minor league at this rate
Is there not much time left in the Major League.

It seems that anxious premonitions are gradually becoming a reality. Major League Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bae Ji-hwan (26) has failed to prove the value of use within the team. In the end, it became impossible to see him in the game.

On the other hand, Jack Swinsky (27), who competed fiercely with Bae Ji-hwan for the opening entry in the exhibition game, was also listed in the starting lineup. It is almost 'semi-fixed selection'.




Pittsburgh will play an away game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Stainbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida on the morning of the 2nd (Korea time). Pittsburgh is already in a bad mood even though it is early in the opening period. It remains in fourth place in the National League Central with one win and four losses, including three consecutive losses. Three of the four losses were walk-off losses. The batting is out of balance. In particular, the bullpen must-win group is almost collapsing from the beginning of the opening.

As the team's atmosphere is not so good, the atmosphere of the players is also chaotic. Usually, in this case, the coach and other coaching staff are likely to try to change the entry to make a change.

Bae Ji-hwan, who is treated as useless, is starting again, but he is on the bench for two consecutive days...I can't avoid going to the minor league at this rate
If Pittsburgh's entry adjustment is made, Bae Ji-hwan is very likely to be included in the minor league list. This is because he showed the worst performance in the few opportunities given at the beginning of the opening.




Subsequently, the medium ring almost disappeared from the field. It's hard to get out of the corner of the dugout.

The same was true of the game against Tampa Bay on the same day. Pittsburgh coach Derek Shelton did not place Bae on the starting list. However, Swinsky, who competed with Bae Ji-hwan to enter the entry until the end of the spring camp, played in the first right field. It is eye-catching that he was entrusted with the leadoff for the first time.

Bae Ji-hwan, who is treated as useless, is starting again, but he is on the bench for two consecutive days...I can't avoid going to the minor league at this rate
Swinsky has already started four times in six games since the opening. This means that it is almost like a main player. The competition between Swinsky and Bae Ji-hwan during the exhibition game ended with a definite conclusion. It's Swinsky's landslide victory. Bae Ji-hwan didn't get a chance to start again on the day. There is a slight possibility that he will come out as a pinch runner in the second half of the game.




In the early days of the opening, Bae Ji-hwan failed to prove his existence value. As a result, the roll is completely gone. Originally, Bae Ji-hwan had the advantage of multi-defensive ability and fast speed. As an advantage, the competitiveness in the Major League was insignificant.

Bae Ji-hwan, who is treated as useless, is starting again, but he is on the bench for two consecutive days...I can't avoid going to the minor league at this rate
APYonhap News
However, he showed his hot batting skills during the exhibition game and succeeded in entering the opening entry, which was expected to be almost impossible. Bae Ji-hwan, who hit .400 in most of the exhibition games and eventually finished with .381 in the final, dramatically joined the opening entry.

It was a result of considerable luck. This is due to the fact that Spencer Howitz, a Pittsburgh first baseman, failed to join the opening entry in February due to wrist surgery, creating space for the opening entry. As a result, the number of outfield participants increased, and both Swinsky and Bae Ji-hwan were included in the opening entry. If there was only one seat, it is likely that Swinsky would have been included. As for Bae Ji-hwan's role, there were still question marks.

The question mark has become a reality. Bae Ji-hwan, who was put into a full-fledged Major League regular league game, confirmed only a big difference in skills. The skill is also skill, but the hasty play did not help the team at all.

He started as the first center fielder in an away game against Miami on the 30th of last month, and had no hits in four at-bats and struck out three. Not only were they crushed by the pitches of Major League Baseball pitchers, but they were also completely misled by the opponent's battery's water fight.

Bae Ji-hwan, who is treated as useless, is starting again, but he is on the bench for two consecutive days...I can't avoid going to the minor league at this rate
Hardness and recklessness are wasting all the hard-won major league opportunities. Pittsburgh Pirates Bae Ji-hwan (26) has harmed his team with another disappointing play. At this rate, it will be difficult to avoid notification to the minor leagues.

Bad Ji-hwan, who was the first starter in the game on the 30th and had no hits in four at-bats and struck out three, came out as a pinch runner after two outs in the top of the eighth inning against Miami on the 31st and ended the inning by failing to steal third base. Bae Ji-hwan getting tagged out at third base.
He then got another chance to play as a pinch runner at the top of the eighth inning with two outs and a runner on first base when the team faced Miami 2-2 on the 31st. However, with the follow-up batter walking to the second base, he was tagged out while hastily trying to steal third base and ended the team's offensive inning. That completely threw cold water on the atmosphere.

In the end, the Pittsburgh bench removed Bae Ji-hwan from the starting list for the second consecutive time since the day. He did not appear as a pinch runner in the game against Tampa Bay on the 1st. We need to see how it will be used in the game on the 2nd.

As long as the weaknesses are exposed to the batting, it is difficult to replace them. You have to come out to meet him. However, hiring a pinch runner is quite difficult to set the timing. In the end, from Shelton's point of view, Bae Ji-hwan is only recognized as a backup agent who is difficult to use and less effective. This makes it difficult to remain in the major league entry. You have to do something on a given chance to survive. However, it is unclear whether more opportunities will be given.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.