Bae Ji-hwan (Pittsburgh Pirates) failed to steal a base in his 14th game. In the meantime, the competitors step up and threaten Bae Ji-hwan.안전놀이터
Bae Ji-hwan succeeded in stealing his 14th base of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays on the 6th (hereinafter Korean time). However, on that day, his flow was twisted when he stole second base and immediately failed to steal third base. He failed to steal one after another against the Baltimore Orioles on the 13th, against Baltimore on the 15th, and against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 21st. Let’s steal the last 4 times in a row.
Finally, on the 24th, the match against the Texas Rangers poured cold water on the team as they suffered Jurusa and a check. Intense criticism from the Pittsburgh press followed. On the 25th, against Texas, he went out as a runner in the second half of the game, but there was no timing to run and he could not score any points.
While Bae Ji-hwan slows down, the competitors gradually pursue or run away from Bae Ji-hwan. First of all, Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves), who topped the National League in stolen bases, broke the 20th base steal mark in the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers on the 24th. He entered solo mode, leading Bae Ji-hwan by 6 cars.
Along with Bae Ji-hwan, Jazz Chijom Jr. (Miami Marlins) of the “Bahamas Express” is tied for second place with 14 stolen bases. Chizom Jr. is on the 10-day injured list after stealing his 14th base on the 14th against the Cincinnati Reds. He injured his toe while playing defense. According to MLB.com, Chizom Jr. is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. It is said that his return in June is uncertain. It is fatal in the steal race.
It is too early for Bae Ji-hwan to be relieved. In the meantime, a new competitor pursues. This is Corbin Carroll (23, Arizona Diamondbacks), an outfielder in his second year in the big leagues. He is a top-notch outfield prospect selected in the first round of 2019. 46 hits in 161 at-bats this season, batting average 0.286, 7 home runs, 17 RBI, 31 runs, 14 stolen bases, OPS 0.889.
Carroll is a quick outfielder. He succeeded in stealing his 14th base of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies on the 25th, tying for second place in the National League in stolen bases with Bae Ji-hwan and Chijom Jr. Against Pittsburgh on the 21st and 22nd, he stole three bases in front of Bae Ji-hwan. 4 steals in the last 5 games so far. He is also a candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year award. Hitting volume is superior to Bae Ji-hwan. Arizona tied Carroll up to $134 million (approximately 177.7 billion won) in 8+1 years before the start of this season.
Behind Carol, Starling Marte (New York Mets) with 13 stolen bases, Tylo Estrada (San Francisco Giants) with 12 bases, and Nico Horner (Chicago Cubs) threaten Bae Ji-hwan. Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Blues) also surpassed 10 stolen bases.
After all, the major leagues are overflowing with players who hit and run well. It is a crisis for Bae Ji-hwan, who has recently lost his stealing pace. Fundamentally, the chance to steal a base increases only when the batting record is raised. In his first season full-time in the big leagues, he has a valuable experience.