Estevan Florial, a foreign hitter for the Hanwha Eagles, has perfectly adapted to the KBO League despite trade rumors. With the trust of manager Kim Kyung-moon, he is leading Hanwha's competition for the top spot as the leadoff hitter.

On the 4th, Florial started as the leadoff center fielder in the home game against the KT Wiz at Hanwha Life Park, hitting his 8th home run of the season, finishing with 1 hit, 1 RBI, and 1 walk in 3 at-bats, contributing to Hanwha's 4-3 comeback victory. With this win, 2nd place Hanwha narrowed the gap to 0.5 games behind 1st place LG.

Despite being overwhelmed by KT's starting pitcher Oh Won-seok until the 5th inning, Florial changed the momentum with a home run as the leadoff hitter in the 6th inning. An initial slider from Oh, clocked at 128 km/h, was high and right down the middle, which Florial did not miss, sending it over the right-center field wall. The home run traveled 130 meters, marking his 8th of the season.

Since stepping into the leadoff spot on the 21st of last month against NC in Ulsan, Florial has showcased a batting average of .333 (18 hits in 54 at-bats) with 4 home runs, 4 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases over the last 13 games, demonstrating a clear improvement in his hitting. During this period, he drew 6 walks while only striking out 9 times. His strikeout rate, which was 25.7% before becoming the leadoff hitter, has significantly decreased to 15.0% in the last 13 games. With Florial now in the leadoff position, Hanwha's concerns about finding a leadoff hitter have also been resolved.

Florial said, "I’ve batted leadoff in America before, but I don’t think the order is that important. I try to stay as simple as possible in my thoughts at the plate, which seems to lead to good results," adding, "At the beginning of the season, I had to adapt to a new environment and a new league. As time goes by, I’m getting used to it, and the results are improving."

Up until last month, trade rumors about Florial were rampant. Although he is a versatile player who can play center field and has offensive speed, he has been inconsistent with his hitting. Considering the weaker batting lineup of Hanwha compared to its strong pitching staff, there were no surer trade options than replacing a foreign hitter. Florial likely sensed this atmosphere and felt a sense of urgency.

From the club's perspective, it was necessary to evaluate rationally and thoroughly consider the possibility of a trade, but on the field, they couldn’t neglect the psychological aspects of the player. Trade rumors about foreign players are usually solidified through statements or various expressions from managers, but the seasoned Kim Kyung-moon ensured that even such hints did not arise. When questions from the press about Florial arose, he refrained from speaking to protect the player from being shaken. Since last year, manager Kim has been cautious in his words, explaining, "Players also read their news articles. They are our players until the end of the season, so we need to support them."

After moving to the leadoff position, Florial has successfully bounced back, and manager Kim publicly expressed his desire to continue working with Florial until the end of the season. Ahead of the game against KT on the 4th, Kim noted about Florial, "He's adapting more and more. If he's hitting like this, it makes no sense to change things."

Kim added, "When a new player comes in, they need time to adjust, which is not easy. Since Florial is doing well now, I hope he continues to do better without losing confidence. I hope he stays with us until the end of the season." Kim, who has often praised Florial's serious and diligent training attitude, is now giving him the support he needs as his performance improves.

In response to Kim's trust, Florial answered immediately with a home run. As of that day, Florial's overall season performance stands at a .273 batting average (66 hits in 242 at-bats), with 8 home runs, 26 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases. His current pace suggests that 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases are possible, and without Kim's belief, he likely wouldn't have achieved such results amidst trade rumors.

Florial has played the most innings among all outfielders in the league with 501 innings, ranking 4th in stolen bases, indicating significant contributions in both defense and base running. Florial stated, "There are times when it’s physically tough, but I sleep a lot and work hard on my conditioning," adding, "I want to contribute to the team’s victory by giving my best in both offense and defense."

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