Managed Ponce, 50 Home Runs, 150 RBI, Crazy Flaming Diaz MVP Competition Perception Signs of Change

Sep 17, 2025

Managed Ponce, 50 Home Runs, 150 RBI, Crazy Flaming Diaz MVP Competition Perception Signs of Change
A match between the Samsung Lions and SSG Landers at Daegu Lions Park on the 11th. Samsung Diaz is cheering after hitting a solo shot with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Daegu = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.11/



Ponce under care, Diaz on fire. Change in MVP competition perception?

Samsung Lions foreign hitter Diaz's last-minute spurt is very hot. Diaz led his team to a 7-5 come-from-behind victory against the Lotte Giants on the 16th with two hits and four RBIs, including a decisive three-run home run. With this victory, Samsung caused pain to its rival Lotte to enter the fall baseball league, while further increasing their chances of entering the postseason. It was a four-run single by Diaz.

With his performance on the day, Diaz recorded 47 home runs and 139 RBIs. In fact, Diaz was in a brief slump in early September. After more than 40 home runs, people started talking about the possibility of 50 home runs here and there. Then, without knowing, the strength went in. Samsung manager Park Jin-man said, `I think I'm getting greedy. He diagnosed, "When I put in strength, the bat speed decreases."




But he quickly found his pace. The mood changed against the Hanwha Eagles on the 6th. Diaz, who almost pulled it all to make a home run, pushed it to produce a home run on that day. The smartness to grab all the urgent points and focus on the contact for now led to an escape from the slump.

Managed Ponce, 50 Home Runs, 150 RBI, Crazy Flaming Diaz MVP Competition Perception Signs of Change
A match between Samsung and KT held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 14th. In the sixth inning, Samsung Diaz hit his 46th solo shot of the season. Diaz circling the ground. Daegu=Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.09.14/
When I get the hang of it again, it fires. Following the home run against SSG Landers on the 11th, the KT Wiz game on the 14th and the Lotte game on the 16th recorded home runs with multiple hits in two consecutive games. In the meantime, the RBI has piled up one by one.

Diaz will now tie the record of 48 home runs set by Navarro from the same team for the most by a foreign player in a season. In addition, Park Byung-ho, who is also on the same team, has 146 RBIs in a season. In addition to breaking this record, Ma's 150-run challenge is also possible.




Samsung now has 10 games left until the end of the regular season. It will not be easy to achieve the record of 50 home runs and 150 RBIs, but at the current pace, it seems possible to add 3 home runs and 11 RBIs in 10 games. There is enough power to make four RBIs per game.

Managed Ponce, 50 Home Runs, 150 RBI, Crazy Flaming Diaz MVP Competition Perception Signs of Change
The game between the Hanwha Eagles and the Kiwoom Heroes at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 13th. Hanwha Ponce, with two outs and runners on the second and third bases in the top of the third inning, is touching the first base himself after catching Kiwoom's main Seong-won hit. Daejeon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.13/
The MVP competition could also fluctuate. Initially, Ponce, who led the Hanwha Eagles' lead competition, seemed to be in an advantageous position for this year's MVP. In 27 games, 17 wins and no losses, 1.70. 1st place with 236 strikeouts. It's a great record. It seems possible to win multiple wins, ERA, winning percentage, and four strikeouts. Only the strikeout division is a battle with Anderson . There is a high possibility of winning MVP.

However, when 'Ponse' came out, Hanwha was in the mood to win the regular season, and all issues were centered on Ponse. However, it may not be intended from the second half, but it feels like taking the mound under management. The team is in desperate competition for the championship and is being given a break from the top rotation. It is clear that he needs to be managed for the future due to many injury issues in his recent career, but the strong and devoted image he showed in the first half has disappeared a little. Also, if you look at the recent game, it is not as overwhelming as in the first half. Ponce, who had almost no runs, allowed three runs in a row against the Kiwoom Heroes on the 28th of last month and the NC Dinos on the 3rd. And after a break on the 9th, he came out against Kiwoom and pitched scoreless.




Managed Ponce, 50 Home Runs, 150 RBI, Crazy Flaming Diaz MVP Competition Perception Signs of Change
In the game between Hanwha and Samsung at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 6th, Samsung Diaz hits a chasing solo home run and rotates the base in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Daegu=Reporter Huh Sang-wook's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.09.06/
On the contrary, Diaz managed to renew his contract last year as a substitute, and he is drawing attention as he is writing a twist Cinderella story. In addition, if Hanwha fails to win the championship and Samsung dramatically advances to autumn baseball, the team's ranking advantage will not go far toward Ponce. If Diaz runs a race to achieve 50 home runs and 150 RBIs at the end of the season, fans and MVP voting votes could be further focused on that side.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.