Pittsburgh Pirates' Bae Ji-hwan (26) showcased lightning speed yet again, surprising everyone. Bae Ji-hwan's ability to turn singles into doubles is making a strong impact in spring training.

Bae Ji-hwan contributed to Pittsburgh's 15-5 victory in the spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles on the 16th (Korean time) at Lecom Park in Bradenton, Florida, starting as the No. 9 hitter and left fielder, with 2 hits in 3 at-bats, including a double, and 2 runs scored.

On the previous day (15th), Bae Ji-hwan, who was substituted in as a defensive replacement during the 7th inning against the Detroit Tigers, demonstrated his speed in the bottom of the 8th inning with an infield hit and a stolen base to second base. Continuing the momentum, he achieved multi-hits on this day, including a bunt single and a double created by his speed.

In his first at-bat in the bottom of the 1st inning, Bae Ji-hwan struck out looking. In the bottom of the 4th inning, with one out and no runners on, he reached first base with a surprise bunt. He executed a surprise bunt against the high sinker on the first pitch from left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto. Though Soto fielded the ball that headed toward first base, his throw to first base went wide after circling around. In the meantime, Bae Ji-hwan advanced to second base, resulting in an infield hit and an error recorded.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, he hit a double. He batted a low inside fastball clocked at 97.4 mph (156.8 km/h) from right-hander Serantori Dominguez, creating a ball that passed by the second baseman. The ball's speed was an impressive 103.9 mph (167.2 km/h).

Though it was a ground ball hit at an angle of 6 degrees, Bae Ji-hwan did not hesitate and sprinted past first base to second. While Baltimore's right fielder Daz Cameron briefly hesitated after making a backhand catch, Bae Ji-hwan slid into second base with a Venteleg slide. Cameron's throw came, but it was a beat too late. This marked Bae Ji-hwan's 4th double in spring training.

The 'Sportsnet Pittsburgh' broadcast team noted, "If an outfielder hesitates even a little bit, Bae Ji-hwan will make them pay. Bae Ji-hwan knows that as soon as he lets go of the bat, he needs to dash out of the batter's box to shake the outfielder."

The fact that he caused an error by the opposing pitcher in his first at-bat in the bottom of the 4th also highlights how Bae Ji-hwan's speed is becoming a nuisance to opposing defenders. His time to reach first base at home last year was 4.06 seconds, ranking first in Major League Baseball (MLB), and his sprint speed also places him in the top 10% of MLB at 29 feet (8.8 m) per second.

Pittsburgh's starting third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, who received a National League Gold Glove in 2023, praised Bae Ji-hwan after his double during a local broadcast interview, saying, "Bae Ji-hwan is the fastest player I've ever played alongside. We call him 'too fast' and 'furious.' It's fun to watch his play. His hitting this spring is also really good."

As of today, Bae Ji-hwan's overall performance in spring training is a .481 batting average over 13 games, with 27 at-bats, 13 hits, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, 9 runs scored, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases, with an on-base percentage of .500, slugging percentage of .741, and OPS of 1.241. His performance is certainly enough to make a compelling case for a spot on the opening day roster.

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