There's still a long way to go. Home run + double multi-hit Bae Ji-hwan, he only did well in one game. I need to show you consistently

Apr 10, 2025

There's still a long way to go. Home run double multi-hit Bae Ji-hwan, he only did well in one game. I need to show you consistently
AFP Yonhap News



There's still a long way to go. Home run double multi-hit Bae Ji-hwan, he only did well in one game. I need to show you consistently
Bae Ji-hwan (26, Indianapolis)'s bat fired after a long time.

Multi-hit including a home run and a double. It's a performance that deserves applause. But he only did well in one game. For the real goal of the Major League call-up, you have to play this level of performance for at least a month. This is because he left a very disappointing appearance during the short major league registration period. There is still a long way to go.

Bae Ji-hwan, who went down to the minor league Triple-A Indianapolis Indians (Triple-A under Pittsburgh), recorded his first hit in Triple-A this year with a home run.




There's still a long way to go. Home run double multi-hit Bae Ji-hwan, he only did well in one game. I need to show you consistently
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Bae Ji-hwan started in the away game against Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds Triple-A) at Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, Kentucky on the 10th (Korea time). On the previous day, Bae Ji-hwan also played in his first Triple-A game of the year as the No. 1 center fielder, and he bowed his head with no hits in four at-bats with two strikeouts of swing and miss.

In the second Triple-A game, he seemed a little sober. He performed well with two hits, one RBI, two runs and one walk in four at-bats, including his first hit of the season with a home run. Two hits were a home run and a double. With this, Bae Ji-hwan's minor league batting average also reached 0.250 (2 hits in 8 at-bats).

Bae Ji-hwan still couldn't shake off his haste in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning. The opponent is Randy Win, a right-handed breaking ball pitcher. After watching the first strike, he swung the bat at the second and third pitches in a row. I was aiming for two sinkers (89 miles, 89.9 miles) coming into the strike zone, but I couldn't get a straight hit. In the end, he scooped up a changeup on the fourth pitch and retired with a fly ball to left field.




However, he hit his first home run of the season in his second at-bat with two outs in the third inning. When Win's 86.8-mile-per-hour (139.7) cutter came flat toward his body, he hit it as it was and hit it over the right-center fence. The batting speed was 103.2 miles (166.1 kilometers per hour) and the flying distance was 377 feet (114.9 meters). It was Bae Ji-hwan's first minor league hit and first home run this season.

Bae Ji-hwan then walked out in the seventh inning. Perhaps because he made his first hit with a home run, he has some room at bat this time. Although the opposing pitcher's control was so bad, he did not throw a single bat on five balls and calmly watched and got a walk.

There's still a long way to go. Home run double multi-hit Bae Ji-hwan, he only did well in one game. I need to show you consistently
Bae Ji-hwan went on to hit a double in his last at-bat after two outs in the top of the ninth for a 5-1 lead. Louisville's sixth pitcher, Jack Maxwell, is a right-hander who throws a strong 99-100-mile four-pitch. Bae Ji-hwan has exposed problems with his response to fastballs in the late 90 miles in both four at-bats in the major leagues this year and four at-bats in the minor leagues the day before.




But this time it was different. Maxwell threw all six of his four-seam fastballs over 99 miles (159.3 km). As if he noticed Bae Ji-hwan's weakness, he seemed to beat him with strength. He threw a 99.1-mile four-seam first pitch into the middle of the strike zone, but was caught by Bae Ji-hwan's swing. After the foul, the second and third pitches came up high outside. The fourth pitch came through the zone, but Bae Ji-hwan fouled it out.

The fifth ball is a low four-seam. It was the sixth ball in the full count. The fastest 100.1 miles (161.1 kilometers) of the day came into the outer course. Bae Ji-hwan cheerfully pushed this ball to make it a left-handed double. After that, Bae Ji-hwan homered and scored on Reover Peguero's timely double to the left. Indianapolis, led by leadoff Bae Ji-hwan's multi-hit long-shot show, eventually won 7-3.

Bae Ji-hwan's multi-hit performance on the day is quite encouraging. The joy of joining the Major League's opening entry also means that it has escaped the shock of being relegated to the minor leagues after two games and four at-bats. In addition, his last at-bat double showed that he had some adjustment to the 99-100-mile fastball.

There's still a long way to go. Home run double multi-hit Bae Ji-hwan, he only did well in one game. I need to show you consistently
However, this single game has not significantly changed the evaluation of Bae Ji-hwan. It was only one game. The disappointment that Bae Ji-hwan left for the Pittsburgh coaching staff when he was demoted from the Major League is not enough to recover with just one brilliant performance.

It is expected that he will get a call-up opportunity only when he continues to play this kind of performance for at least a month.

In fact, Bae Ji-hwan appeared in 66 games in Triple-A last year, batting average of 0.341, seven home runs, 41 RBIs, 49 runs and 84 hits, and an on-base percentage of 0.433 OPS of 0.937. It was the highest level in the league. However, after being called up to the Major League, he only hit 0.189 (14 hits in 74 at-bats) in 29 games.

It is a stat labeled 'Level that has exceeded the level of Triple A, but does not work in Major League Baseball. This year we have to break this. To do so, it is necessary to perform better in Triple-A than last year and maintain a sense of hitting even after the call-up.

Reporter Lee Won-man wman@sportschosun.com



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.