Bae Ji-hwan, 24, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, has been praised by local media for his quick feet as he looks to lead Major League Baseball (MLB) in stolen bases this season.
“He’s unbelievably fast,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Thursday (local time), “and the Pittsburgh organization will be thrilled with his talent.”
Bae has been recognized for his quick 먹튀검증 feet after cracking the opening day roster for the first time this season after joining Pittsburgh in 2018. Early in the season, Bae stole a whopping 11 of his 12 attempts and quickly became a candidate for the National League (NL) stolen base award.
Even with his quick feet, Bae has had his struggles. In May, he failed to steal four of his first six bases. He was criticized by local media. But the trials made him stronger. Since mid-May, he has added another stolen base and now has 19. With one more stolen base, he will become the first Korean major leaguer to reach the 20-stolen base mark in a single season in a decade since Choo Shin-soo in 2013.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that “since mid-May, Bae has played a little more cautiously, but he’s quickly adjusted to the game,” and that “his average time to first base is first in the league at 4.05 seconds.” They also praised his defense, saying that “while he sometimes makes batting decisions that deflect the ball, Bae is awesome in center field,” and that “he could be Pittsburgh’s best center field option.”
“My goal is to get on base and score with an in-play hit,” Bae told the outlet, “I’m trying to calm down a little bit more and read the situation better. Everyone at the club is trying to make me a better player.”
