The ‘2000 hit MVP legend’ also fell in love with Bae Ji-hwan… “Our Key Puzzle, Fantastic” Praise

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• on Sep 02, 2023

 Andrew McCutchen (37‧ Pittsburgh) is one of the living legends of Major League Baseball and a Pittsburgh legend. Since making his major league debut with Pittsburgh in 2009, he has been playing steadily and building a career worthy of a Hall of Fame challenge.바카라사이트

As of the 1st (Korean time), McCutchen has played 2003 major league games, recording a batting average of 0.275, 2042 hits, 299 homers, 1042 RBIs and 215 stolen bases. He broke the 2000 hits, which is considered a symbolic number, and 300 home runs are just around the corner. There are actually not that many players in major league history who have achieved 2,000 hits, 300 home runs, and 200 stolen bases at the same time. It is a number that proves McCutchen’s all-roundness.

He is a more special player for Pittsburgh. After his major league debut, he played for Pittsburgh for a long time. He moved to San Francisco through a trade in 2018, then passed through the New York Yankees and Philadelphia before returning to Pittsburgh ahead of this season. He is a one-year, $5 million contract, but he is a legend who catches the atmosphere of the Pittsburgh dugout and is becoming a mentor to young Pittsburgh players.

He also has a relationship with Bae Ji-hwan (24). Bae Ji-hwan looked at McCutchen in awe at the time of spring training before the season and introduced, “They said that I was able to make my down payment with the international contract bonus pool obtained at the time when McCutchen was traded.” “He said of a strange experience.

In his prime, McCutchen was a player who had all the skills of offense, defense, and defense. In fact, he has four Silver Slugger careers and even a Gold Glove Award as a center fielder. In 2013, he was at his peak, winning the National League MVP. Since his debut, Mike Trout (LA Angels) has lost the top player spot only once until 2021, and some say that was McCutchen in 2013. He was that great of a player.

McCutchen has fallen in love with Bae Ji-hwan’s play these days. This is why Bae Ji-hwan, who shows energetic play, has recently shown promise in the center field position. In fact, Bae Ji-hwan was considered a shortstop or second baseman until he moved to the United States. However, he played center field in the minor leagues to maximize his utility in the major league team. He also plays second base and center field in the major leagues.

It is not easy for corner outfielders to judge batted balls. This is because the batted ball often flies out curved. In the case of the major leagues, the stadium specifications are also different. Defense is difficult because there are often structures not only on the line but also in the middle of the left and right sides. On the other hand, center fielders need a wide defensive range, but their batting and fence play are relatively honest compared to left or right fielders. Bae Ji-hwan, who has quick feet and can chase down most batted balls, is suitable as a center fielder.

McCutchen also praised Bae Ji-hwan’s energetic play and defense. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune, a leading local newspaper, on the 1st (Korean time), McCutchen said, “Ji-hwan Bae is our key puzzle piece,” adding, “Ji-hwan Bae is a player who can use his speed to get on base, steal bases, and achieve something on the road.” “It was a very important part of the team,” he said, praising it.

In fact, Bae Ji-hwan was consistently on Pittsburgh’s 26-man roster until his ankle injury. Although his batting average and on-base percentage were somewhat inconsistent, one of his base running plays was recognized as one of the best in the major leagues. His physical speed is comparable to anywhere else in the major leagues. At the beginning of the season, there was a bit of overzealousness when running the bases, but after June, he became more mature and found stability.

Center field defense was relatively unfamiliar compared to the infield. However, McCutchen praises the fact that he is gradually adapting. “He’s shown he can do it when he’s there,” McCutchen said. “He doesn’t know when to turn on and off the signal yet and he’s not 100 percent all the time, but time will tell. He’s not a natural center fielder, but he plays great in center field.” And he shows fantastic performances at times. To be honest, he will be a great center fielder,” he said, sparing no encouragement.

Bae Ji-hwan is also happy about the legend’s praise. Bae Ji-hwan says it is good to have the opportunity to ask many questions from McCutchen, who is a mentor and legend at Clubhouse. Bae Ji-hwan said, “He’s great because he’s a role model for everyone in this clubhouse. During the game, he gives me short advice like, ‘There’s no need to rush this, you can do this instead.’ That helps me a lot.”

The future path of McCutchen, 36 this year, has not been decided, but Pittsburgh did not trade McCutchen ahead of the trade deadline. Since he is a symbolic player of the team, he may be expected to serve as a mentor next year as well. Actually, my grades aren’t that bad. He has an adjusted OPS of 106 in 108 games, although his performance began to decline after midseason. He’s better than league average. Attention is being paid to whether Pittsburgh’s young players, including Bae Ji-hwan, will be able to absorb McCutchen’s know-how as much as possible.