A new competitor has appeared for Pittsburgh’s Major League Baseball player Bae Ji-hwan (24). It is Mark Mathias (29) whose position overlaps perfectly.
On the 18th (Korean time), Mathias started as a second baseman, batting 7,메이저사이트 in an away game held at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, USA, and played an active role with 4 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs in 5 at-bats. He made a strong impression on the coaching staff, helping the team to a 14-3 victory.
Matias, who is from California, USA and debuted in the major leagues wearing a Milwaukee uniform in 2020, exactly overlaps with Bae Ji-hwan. Both are capable of defending all outfield positions as well as second and third base. In addition, Mathias also has experience as a first baseman. Last year, he moved to Texas midway through the season and performed impressively with a batting average of 0.277, 5 home runs and 16 RBIs in 24 games.
Pittsburgh recruited Mathias in early March to strengthen their player base, and watched their competition with Bae Ji-hwan in spring camp. As a result, Bae Ji-hwan rose to the opening roster and laughed first. Matias, who started the season in minor league Triple-A, was called up to the big leagues when his main shortstop, O’Neill Cruz (25), who suffered an injury during a recent game, left the team.
He was silent in his first three games after his return to the major leagues, but made his presence known by picking up four hits in a game on the 18th. His performance this season is a batting average of 0.250 (5 hits in 20 at-bats) and 1 RBI in 6 games.
On the other hand, Bae Ji-hwan played in 15 games this season until the 18th, recording a batting average of 0.220 (11 hits in 50 at-bats), 2 home runs, 8 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. Superficially, Bae Ji-hwan looks good, but that doesn’t make it a safe atmosphere. This is because Matthias’ bat is reviving as the game goes on.
In addition, Pittsburgh’s Triple-A minor league team has a top-notch infield prospect named Malcolm Nunez (22). Born in Cuba, he played in Double-A and Triple-A last year, posting a batting average of 0.262, 23 homers, and 88 RBIs. He also excels with an OPS of 0.833.
American local media such as Baseball America expected Nunez to make his major league debut this year. An official familiar with the Pittsburgh situation also predicted in an interview with Star News, “As long as there are no surprises such as injuries or poor grades, Nunez will make his major league debut this year.”
The rivalry between Mathias and Bae Ji-hwan is expected to continue for the time being until Cruz and Choi Ji-man (32), who are on the injured list, return or Nunez is called up. Interest is focused on who will laugh in the competition between the two.