Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bae Ji-hwan (26) is facing a risk of being sent down to the minor leagues despite having a batting average over .400.
Bae Ji-hwan started as the leadoff hitter in left field in a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at 2025 Major League Ballpark in Bradenton, Florida, on the 23rd (Korean time) but went 0-for-3 with one strikeout.
On the 20th, Bae Ji-hwan, who had three times on base with two doubles and one walk against the Tampa Bay RAY, rested for two days following a day off on the 21st, before facing the Boston Red Sox on the 22nd.
He had the chance to be a starter after three days but couldn't capitalize on it. His spring training batting average dropped from .444 to .410 (16 hits in 39 at-bats).
Facing Baltimore right-handed starter Jack Eflin, the 2023 American League (AL) wins leader (16 wins), Bae Ji-hwan made contact with a changeup on the second pitch in his first at-bat but grounded out to first base.
In the bottom of the third with two outs and no runners on base, he made contact with a low curve but became the last out of the inning with a ground ball to the catcher.
In the sixth inning as the leadoff hitter, he struck out against left-handed pitcher Sionele Perez. He swung and missed at a cutter on the fifth pitch.
Up to this day, Bae Ji-hwan has been performing exceptionally well in this spring training, posting a batting average of .410 (16 hits in 39 at-bats), one home run, four RBIs, 12 runs, two walks, seven Samjin, and three stolen bases, with an on-base percentage of .439, a slugging percentage of .641, and an OPS of 1.080.
Judging by his performance, joining the 26-man opening roster is certainly possible, but the team composition for Pittsburgh makes it challenging. With left fielder Tommy Pham, center fielder Oneil Cruz, and right fielder Bryan Reynolds securing their starting positions, he is competing with Jack Swinski for the last backup outfield spot.
Swinski is also performing well this spring training, sporting a batting average of .368 (14 hits in 38 at-bats), one home run, nine RBIs, four runs, four walks, ten strikeouts, and four stolen bases, with an on-base percentage of .419, a slugging percentage of .579, and an OPS of .998. Swinski has a undeniable power advantage over Bae Ji-hwan, and with a strong major league career, Bae Ji-hwan is at a higher risk of being edged out.
If Bae Ji-hwan had been a utility player up to the infield last year, it would have been likely for him to join the opening roster, but this year he is focused solely on the outfield, making it that much more difficult to enter the opening roster. Pittsburgh's spring training schedule wraps up after games against the Toronto Blue Jays on the 24th and the Minnesota Twins on the 25th, leaving Bae Ji-hwan with few remaining opportunities.
Meanwhile, in this game, Pittsburgh suffered a 0-4 team no-hitter loss, managing only three walks and ending the game without a hit through the ninth inning.
Baltimore's starter Eflin (three innings) was followed by Gregory Soto, Yennier Cano, Perez, Bryan Baker, Roansy Contreras, and Riley Cooper, each pitching one inning, as the seven pitchers combined to allow only three walks while striking out ten batters for a no-hitter without giving up a run.
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