A World Series rematch takes place with Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge showcasing a big bang of top hitters. Kim Hye-seong has been excluded from the starting lineup for three consecutive games.
The Dodgers and Yankees are set to clash on the 31st (Korean time) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The two teams that faced off in last year's World Series meet again. In that series, the Dodgers defeated the Yankees 4-2, celebrating a World Series appearance after 36 years with a full-time season of 162 games.
This game is attracting attention as it features a matchup between the league's top hitters, the likely MVP candidates Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and Aaron Judge of the Yankees. Ohtani has a batting average of .292 (216 at-bats, 63 hits), 20 home runs, 35 RBIs, 59 runs, 7 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.042 this season. He leads Major League Baseball in home runs, reaching the 20-home run mark for the first time.
Judge has actually had a better pace than Ohtani. He maintained a batting average of .400 up until the game on May 22. Although his pace has dropped now, he is showcasing productivity exceeding that of Ohtani, with a batting average of .391 (207 at-bats, 81 hits), 18 home runs, 47 RBIs, 51 runs, and an OPS of 1.227.
The Yankees' starting pitcher is Max Fried, who transferred from the Atlanta Braves to free agency before this season. Fried signed a contract worth $218 million (301.7 billion won) for 8 years, setting a record for the highest ever contract for a left-handed pitcher in free agency. Living up to that price tag, Fried has taken on the role of ace this year with a record of 7 wins and 0 losses, an earned run average of 1.29 (70 innings, 10 earned runs), and a WHIP of 0.93 over 11 games.
Facing the league's top left-handed pitcher, left-handed hitter Kim Hye-seong has been excluded from the starting lineup for three consecutive games. The Dodgers have the following players in their starting lineup: Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Teoscar Hernandez (right fielder), Will Smith (catcher), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Andy Pahes (center fielder), Tommy Edman (second baseman), Kiké Hernandez (third baseman), Michael Conforto (left fielder), and Miguel Rojas (shortstop).
Kim Hye-seong was previously excluded from the starting lineup for two consecutive games and has not stepped on the field. He started against Cleveland on the 27th but went hitless in 3 at-bats and made an error. He still has a good record with a batting average of .366 (41 at-bats, 15 hits), 1 home run, 5 RBIs, 10 runs, and an OPS of .858, but he has not yet earned complete trust.
Moreover, Kim Hye-seong has yet to face a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. The probability of his inclusion in the starting lineup is extremely low, given that he is facing the league's top left-handed pitcher.
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