Is it particularly unlucky for someone who is on base more often?

Hong Chang-ki of the professional baseball LG Twins is struggling with his hitting at the beginning of this season. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeob noted that he is also dealing with the misfortune of the ABS zone.

As of the 28th, Hong has a batting average of .225 and an on-base percentage of .357. This is nearly a 1-point difference compared to last year's batting average of .336 and an on-base percentage of .447. Hong, who has been the on-base leader for three of the last four years and won the title for two consecutive years, currently ranks 23rd in on-base percentage. This is an inconsistent ranking.

The ABS zone has dropped by about 1 cm compared to last year. Nevertheless, high breaking balls, especially those that hit the upper corner of the ABS zone, are difficult for any batter to handle easily. Hong Chang-ki (189 cm), who is relatively tall, has seen his strikeout rate increase from 12.9% in 2023 and 14.6% in 2024 to 23.7% this season. The majority of his strikeouts have shifted from swinging strikeouts to looking strikeouts.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeob said, "Chang-ki has been getting a lot of pitches that hit the corner lately. When he gets a strikeout, it’s usually on the edge of the high zone. He has been unlucky. When Chang-ki sees three strikes, two of them are on the corner. It’s funny. They are either high-zone pitches, which he dislikes the most, or they are body-side corners."

Pitches that barely touch the corners or the upper and lower sides on two strikes are typically only looked at by batters. It is lucky for the pitcher and unlucky for the batter. Manager Yeom checks the ABS zone with a tablet in the dugout and said there are many pitches that barely touch the corners that seem particularly unlucky for Hong. He said, "It’s unfortunate."

There is another unlucky player like Hong Chang-ki: NC Kim Joo-won. Manager Lee Ho-jun said, "The ball only comes to the corners for him. The moment it’s thrown, it’s a ball, but when it comes in, it’s a strike. Looking at the location, a lot of pitches hitting the corners and the top go to Joo-won."

The manager also noted, "Did we measure Joo-won's height (185 cm) incorrectly? He can't not swing at high pitches. It’s a case similar to (Hong) Chang-ki. He also gets a lot of those kinds of pitches. Since many pitches are strikes in the high zone, he feels a lot of stress about it."

From the batter's box, it looks like a ball, but when a strike call is made, they can’t hide their expression. He’s not that kind of guy, but for several days now, he has been showing that action repeatedly. As you know, he wasn’t that kind of player before, but when a strike is called, it appears that his true feelings think it's a ball. Joo-won is now in a similar situation," he explained. He added, "You have to overcome it. What can you do but just get through it? Just do it. Think of it as stepping in poo. That’s all I can say."

The manager stated, "Ohtani wouldn’t be able to hit either. If the ball comes in that way, how can he hit it? If a pitch goes to such a zone with Ohtani's height (193 cm), Ohtani couldn’t hit it either. Therefore, I don’t say anything about that. I just say every time, 'It was a hard pitch. Don’t foul off an easy pitch, just make sure to hit it.'"

[OSEN]