"As I keep checking the ball..."
Is KIA Tigers foreign player Patrick Wisdom (34) a success? After finishing last season, they did not renew the contract with Socrates Brito, who played for three years, and brought in Wisdom. They needed a right-handed power hitter to center their lineup with Choi Hyung-woo and Na Sung-bum. With a record of 20 home runs for three consecutive years in Major League Baseball and a total of 88 home runs, there were expectations for even stronger destructive power in the KBO League.
As of June 20, he has participated in 51 games and has entered 215 plate appearances. He has a batting average of .265, with 13 home runs, 35 RBIs, 35 runs scored, and 3 stolen bases. His slugging percentage is .558, on-base percentage is .378, and OPS is .930. Although he did not meet the qualifying plate appearance requirement, he tied for 4th in home runs, is 4th in slugging percentage, and 9th in on-base percentage. It cannot be considered a poor performance.
At the same time, it is not a performance that is 100% satisfying. Manager Lee Beom-ho, upon the announcement of his recruitment, noted, "I would like him to hit around a .280 average with 30 home runs," expressing his expectations. He jokingly revealed a target goal of hitting the same number of home runs as his jersey number (44) during spring training, but emphasized that 30 home runs would be sufficient. So far, he has not yet met that expectation. He also suffered from back pain and missed 19 days.
There are also disappointing points in clutch situations. His batting average with runners in scoring position is .255. In 68 opportunities, he drew 11 walks and hit 14 hits, bringing in 20 RBIs. He has hit 2 home runs and 3 doubles. However, he has struck out 24 times. Compared to Choi Hyung-woo's .333 and Park Chan-ho's .327 in scoring position, those numbers are disappointing. Had Wisdom capitalized more on those opportunities, the KIA offense would have flowed more smoothly.
Manager Lee Beom-ho explained the lack of powerful hits and clutch batting using the phrase that he is checking the ball too much. "In clutch situations, the opponent throws difficult pitches. It seems that timing is a bit delayed because he is trying to look closely and hit. There is also a desire to get walks to extend the chances for those behind him. If he sees the ball well, it leads to chances for Hyung-woo. The more he checks, the more swings and fouls he produces," he said.
He added, "Given his calm personality, it seems like that's the case. I keep telling him to swing aggressively. He must demonstrate his clutch ability when there are runners on base to facilitate game management," urging for more aggressive swings. He emphasized that rather than focusing on walks, he should show powerful hits and clutch abilities with bolder, more proactive swings.
On the 19th, he finally broke out with two long hits in the game against KT WIZ in Gwangju. Leading off in the 4th inning with a 1-0 lead, he blasted a double that hit the left-center fence and added a valuable insurance run during Oh Sun-woo's RBI. Additionally, in the 7th inning with 2 outs and a runner on 3rd, he attacked a 146 km/h fastball to hit a 125-meter two-run homer to left-center. He experienced the sweetness of hitting for the first time in 7 games since June 11 against Samsung in Gwangju.
Wisdom is also well aware of Manager Lee Beom-ho's orders. "It's been a while since I've hit a home run. My batting pace has dropped since last week. I talked a lot with the batting coach and the performance analysis coach. It seemed like my timing was late, so I tried to swing with a quicker timing. I was able to create good hits because the timing matched well," he explained his secret.
That day, it was the kind of batting that the team had been hoping for. The team achieved a 5-game winning streak thanks to the home runs. They have approached within 4.5 games of 1st place Hanwha. The league is showing signs of chaos from 1st to 7th place. KIA's pitching has been stable, making run support from the batting lineup crucial. Having passed 200 plate appearances, one can say that he has adapted to the KBO League. From now on, Wisdom's long hits and clutch abilities will be even more necessary.
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