What good is it to record a batting average close to .400 in spring training? Reports have emerged that Bae Ji-hwan (Pittsburgh Pirates)'s base running error in the opening series led to his demotion to the minor leagues.
The Major League Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates announced on the 4th (Korea time) the news of Bae Ji-hwan's demotion to the minor leagues. Bae Ji-hwan was sent down to the minor league Triple-A Indianapolis Indians to include outfielder Alexander Canario, acquired via trade with the New York Mets on the 1st, in the 26-man roster.
Bae Ji-hwan fulfilled his dream of making his Major League debut in Pittsburgh in 2022, but last year he struggled with injuries and poor performance, ending the season with a batting average of .189 in 29 games, 6 RBIs, and 11 runs scored, with an On-base Plus Slugging (OPS) of .463. He started the season on the injured list due to a hip injury sustained during spring training and fell behind in the competition for a starting position, effectively being classified as out of the roster.
This year, Bae Ji-hwan challenged for a starting position in spring training once again. After declaring himself determined to improve, he recorded a batting average of .381 over 20 games (42 at-bats, 16 hits), hitting 1 home run, 4 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .422, a slugging percentage of .595, and an OPS of 1.017. As a result, he succeeded in making the opening roster for the first time in two years since 2023.
After the opening, the Pirates played 7 games (2 wins, 5 losses), but Bae Ji-hwan was only able to participate in 2 games. On March 30, during an away game against the Miami Marlins, he went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts and was silenced, and on the 31st he played as a substitute against Miami. He entered as a pinch runner and got caught stealing. He then remained on the bench during the away game against the Tampa Bay RAY from April 1 to 3 before receiving notice of his demotion to the minor leagues.
Local media viewed Bae Ji-hwan's demotion to the minor leagues as not a serious matter. The local Pittsburgh media outlet, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, noted, "This roster move is not surprising; the Canario, who came from the Mets on the 1st, took a spot on the 40-man roster as pitcher Jared Jones was placed on the 60-day injured list, replacing Bae Ji-hwan in the big league lineup."
It added, "Left-handed outfielder Bae Ji-hwan started the season with 4 at-bats and no hits, leaving behind his hot hitting in spring training. The only reason his name appeared in the headlines during the season was due to an ignoble incident, as he made a reckless base running mistake in the opening series held in Miami."
Will Bae Ji-hwan be able to regain his value as a big leaguer in the minor leagues?
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