The Pittsburgh Pirates' Bae Ji-hwan (26) continues to stage a show of force toward the opening roster.
On the 20th (Korea time), Bae Ji-hwan started as the leadoff center fielder in a spring training game against the Tampa Bay RAYS at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, where he recorded 2 doubles, going 2 for 3 with 1 RBI, 1 run scored, and 1 walk.
After hitting 2 doubles on the 12th against the New York Yankees, Bae Ji-hwan raised his spring training batting average from .424 to .444 (16 hits in 36 at-bats).
In his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, Bae was out on a popup to the infield against Tampa Bay's right-handed starter Jack Leitel, but he hit a double in the top of the third with one out and a runner on first base. He recorded an RBI double by driving a low outside pitch from Leitel, bringing home the runner on second base, Henry Davis. That marked his fourth RBI in the spring game.
Bae Ji-hwan took advantage of a gap in the opposing defense to reach third base and scored on a ground ball from Adam Frazier to second base. That marked his 12th run scored in the spring training.
In the top of the fifth inning with one out and a runner on first base, Bae also hit a double. Hitting the outside pitch from Leitel, he created another double that dropped into left field, setting up a chance with runners on second and third.
In his last at-bat in the top of the seventh inning, he showed good plate discipline. With two outs and no runners on, he drew a walk from right-hander Manuel Rodriguez and walked to first base.
Before the bottom of the seventh inning, Bae Ji-hwan, who was substituted, handled a pop-out. The game ended with Pittsburgh losing 5-2.
As of that day, Bae Ji-hwan has been hitting exceptionally in this spring training, boasting a batting average of .444 (16 hits in 36 at-bats), 1 home run, 4 RBIs, 12 runs scored, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases, with a .474 on-base percentage, .694 slugging percentage, and 1.168 OPS over 17 games.
He is aiming for a spot on the 26-man opening roster, but his position remains uncertain. With center fielder Oneil Cruz and right fielder Bryan Reynolds clearly established as starters, it is likely that veteran Tommy Pham, who was acquired through free agency, will be used as the everyday left fielder.
Bae Ji-hwan is competing with Jack Swinski for a backup outfield position. Swinski hit 19 home runs in 2022 and 26 in 2023 but struggled last year with a batting average in the .100s (.182), losing his starter position. However, in this spring training, he has shown signs of a rebound with a .371 batting average (13 hits in 35 at-bats), 1 home run, 9 RBIs, 4 runs scored, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases, with a .425 on-base percentage, .600 slugging percentage, and 1.025 OPS over 12 games.
Based on spring training performance, Bae Ji-hwan has been better, but Swinski has more experience in Major League Baseball. He is not as fast as Bae, but he is not slow either. The fact that Bae has two minor league options left, compared to Swinski's one, is currently a disadvantage.
Bae Ji-hwan has played both infield and outfield until last year, but in this spring training, he is fixed as a center fielder (7 games, 7 starts, 49 innings) and left fielder (9 games, 2 starts, 30⅔ innings). If he were a utility player, he would likely secure a roster spot as a backup, but it is uncertain if he can make the team given his current situation where he is only playing outfield.
Moving forward, Bae Ji-hwan must show greater competitiveness in the remaining spring training games. The Pittsburgh spring training schedule has four games left. After finishing spring training by the 25th, the team will have a two-day break before entering the season opener against the Miami Marlins on the 28th.
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