Tess, I'm already forgetting... KIA foreigners who shoot rockets, don't tell me Hong Chang-ki, who hits 40 home runs, will appear?
Tess, I'm already forgetting... KIA foreigners who shoot rockets, don't tell me Hong Chang-ki, who hits 40 home runs, will appear?
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Contact and slugging are usually inversely proportional to each other. To hit long balls, you have to swing hard with the point in front of you. That is why you are vulnerable to breaking balls or balls that you did not aim for. If the contact drops, the on-base percentage will inevitably decrease. That is why on-base plus slugging percentage are rare, and thus their value is high. This is why on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) players are gaining popularity in the Major League.
This is evident from the KBO league table last year. Only four players (Mel Rojas Jr., Kim Do-young, Koo Ja-wook, and Song Seong-moon) recorded on-base percentage of .40 or higher and slugging percentage of .500 or higher last year. Hong Chang-ki, who ranks first in on-base percentage (.447) and boasts one of the best pioneers in the league, also tends to sacrifice his slugging percentage by focusing on on on on-base percentage. However, a new player who can appear on the list this year has appeared. Patrick Wisdom (34), Kia's new foreign pitcher, is the hero.
Socrates Brito, a center fielder who played as a foreign hitter at Kia for the past three years, was not such a bad player. That is why he was able to play in the KBO League for three years. Kia, however, believed it was time for a change. As foreign players were not able to beef up their capabilities externally, the team needed to upgrade its performance. Wizdom is the player on Kia's radar. At the time, expectations were high within the Kia Tigers that he unanimously ruled in favor of Wizdom over Wizdom and Socrates. Wizdom's home run power has already been recognized in the Major League as well. Since his debut in the Major League in 2018, he played in a total of 455 games in the big leagues until last year, launching 88 cannons. Starting with 28 homers in 2021, he hit 20 or more home runs for three consecutive years through 2023. Power is everything. However, his overall batting average in the Major League stood at 0.209. In terms of records, he appears to be a style of blackmail.
Kia, however, viewed Wizdom's pioneering eye as not bad. He is a player who can sufficiently select pitches, and I was confident that his on-base percentage would be guaranteed at a certain level. Therefore, he believed that he could achieve better performance than Socrates in various indicators including OPS. Rather than playing well in defense, not running slowly, and just running like a fan in offense, he finally put on the uniform after evaluating that he can contribute to the team in many aspects.
It's still early in the season, but Wisdom is meeting those expectations. As of Tuesday, Wisdom has displayed stellar performance by posting a batting average of 0.292, four homers, eight RBIs and an OPS of 1.304 in eight games of this season. He is showing off his ability by sending off the adaptation period that he thought would come early in the season. There are many positive indicators. Wisdom will not be able to maintain its current OPS until the end of this season, but this is why it can be expected that he will continue to contribute to the team.
His strength is among the best in the KBO league as well. In a game against Hanwha at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on Monday, Wisdom hit a solo home run against the Hanwha ace Ryu Hyun-jin. With the team trailing 1-2, it was a tying solo shot that laid the groundwork for the team to come from behind to win. According to the tally by "Trackman," the official speed measuring platform for the speed of pitches in the KBO League and providing tracking data to nine teams, the home run flew a whopping 179.2 kilometers. The only batter in the KBO League who can hit the ball this fast was Matt Davidson (NC), last year's home run king.
In addition, the on-base percentage is also high. It is not a blackmail. Wisdom had a high on-base percentage of 0.471 in eight games. He struck out six but walked a whopping nine. Usually, big guns strike out twice as many as walks, and there are parts that can't be helped in order to hit a home run. However, Wisdom calmly maintains his zone, draws a walk, and crosses the fence without missing a ball or real throw that enters his zone. If hit, it is fast and big. 먹튀검증
The defense also received a passing score from the coaching staff. Infield defense at the first and third bases is possible. It is not to the extent that it feels stuffy when there is a runner because he is not slow to walk. He is also strong in the scoring area and shows his temperament as a troubleshooter. There were a lot of home runs when they were important. While Socrates' name is being forgotten earlier than expected, there is a high possibility that the batting order will be pulled in the future based on this performance, which is expected to be a big hit this year.