Adrian Beltre, who visited the SSG Landers Future team in professional baseball, mentioned Kim Byung-hyun as the most difficult pitcher he faced in Major League Baseball.

Beltre participated in the 'MLB Legend Mentoring Day' held in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, on the 11th, where he gave a lecture and had a Q&A session with the SSG Future players and coaching staff.

Beltre, who had a batting average of .286 with 3,166 hits in 11,068 at-bats, 477 home runs, 1,707 RBIs, 1,524 runs, 121 stolen bases, and an OPS of .819 over his 21-season career in Major League Baseball (1998-2018), was loved by many fans as a third baseman who dominated the era in the league. Last year, he recorded a voting rate of 95.1% in his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame.

Beltre emphasized to the Future players the importance of dedication and effort, saying, "As a baseball player, you must always sacrifice and train. If you have a stronger mentality and a spirit of sacrifice as a baseball player, you will be able to walk a better path in your baseball life. Once you enter the professional realm, you must always do your best and bring out more than your 100% to truly become a professional."

When asked about the most difficult pitcher he faced in Major League Baseball, Beltre immediately exclaimed Kim Byung-hyun. Kim Byung-hyun recorded 54 wins, 60 losses, 21 holds, and 86 saves with an earned run average of 4.42 over 394 games (841 innings) in Major League Baseball. His signature underhand delivery produced fastballs exceeding 95 miles per hour (152.9 km/h) and his rising slider made him a nightmare for batters.

"It's not just because he’s Korean that I mention Kim Byung-hyun," Beltre said. "He was truly a challenging pitcher. I got out in all 29 at-bats. He threw 95 miles per hour underhand, and I couldn't even touch the ball. When Kim Byung-hyun got older and his velocity dropped in 2007, I finally got a hit. We celebrated a lot back then," he laughed.

Though Beltre noted he faced Kim Byung-hyun in 29 at-bats, in reality, they faced each other in 17 at-bats during Major League Baseball games, and the hit came in 2006. However, it is true that Kim Byung-hyun was very strong against Beltre, recording 1 hit in 16 at-bats with 8 strikeouts and allowing one walk.

Beltre reflected on his matchups against Kim Byung-hyun, saying, "I have never overcome that moment. When a 95-mile-per-hour pitch comes flying in, it crosses the strike zone. Even when I tried to commit to hitting it, there was no way I could hit that pitch. There are various types of pitchers in America, but I have never seen a pitcher who can throw such a fastball underhand. Every time I faced him, I thought, 'This is a pitch I can never adapt to.'" He added with a laugh, "On the nights I faced Kim Byung-hyun, I would dream about him."

In addition to Kim Byung-hyun, Beltre also struggled against Park Chan-ho (2 hits in 12 at-bats) and Ryu Je-young (no hits in 2 at-bats). However, he was strong against Seo Jae-eung (6 hits in 9 at-bats, 2 walks) and Oh Seung-hwan (2 hits in 3 at-bats). After hearing that he was weak against Park Chan-ho, Beltre laughed and said, "Then it seems I am weak against Korean pitchers."

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