Pittsburgh Pirates' Bae Ji-hwan (26) stepped back with no hits in the final spring training game, causing his batting average to drop below .400. However, after showing hot hitting throughout spring training, he has effectively secured his spot on the opening roster.

On the 25th (Korea time), Bae Ji-hwan was the starting ninth batter and center fielder in the final spring training game against the Minnesota Twins, recording no hits in 2 at-bats along with 1 run scored and 1 walk.

On the 23rd, Bae Ji-hwan started against the Baltimore Orioles, going hitless in 3 at-bats with 1 strikeout, and on the 24th, he came off the bench against the Toronto Blue Jays, recording no hits in 1 at-bat with 1 strikeout. With this, he finished his spring training with three consecutive games without a hit, dropping his batting average from .400 to .381 (16 hits in 42 at-bats).

Facing Minnesota right-handed starter Bailey Ober, Bae Ji-hwan drew a walk in his first at-bat in the bottom of the third. After successfully advancing to second and third base on a wild pitch from Ober, he stepped on home plate when Brian Reynolds hit a single to right, scoring the team's first run.

However, in his second at-bat in the bottom of the fifth, he struck out looking against right-hander Luis Valand. The fourth pitch, an outside knuckle curve, appeared to slightly miss the zone, but the home plate umpire raised his hand.

In his final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh, he grounded out to second base. He swung at an outside splitter from right-hander Cole Sands on the third pitch but produced a weak ground ball. Bae Ji-hwan, substituted before the bottom of the eighth inning, finished the spring training with no hits.

It was a disappointing game, but Bae Ji-hwan survived once again. After the game, Pittsburgh made roster adjustments. Five players, including pitchers Thomas Harrington, Carson Fulmer, Birch Smith, Tanner Rainey, and first baseman/outfielder DJ Stewart, moved to the minor league camp.

Now, there are 32 players remaining at the Pittsburgh camp: 18 pitchers and 14 position players. Major League Baseball allows 13 pitchers on a 26-man roster, and currently, there are 14 position players remaining in camp. Infielder Spencer Hovey underwent wrist surgery earlier last month, requiring 6 to 8 weeks of rehabilitation, making it likely he will start on the injured list. As a result, the remaining 13 position players are expected to make the opening roster, with Bae Ji-hwan's inclusion being strong.

In the final 20 spring training games, Bae Ji-hwan had a batting average of .381 (16 hits in 42 at-bats), 1 home run, 4 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases, achieving an on-base percentage of .422, a slugging percentage of .595, and an OPS of 1.017. With left fielder Tommy Pham, center fielder Oneil Cruz, and right fielder Reynolds forming a solid starting outfield, Bae Ji-hwan competed with Jack Swinski for the backup outfield position. Swinski also performed well in this spring training, with a batting average of .375 (15 hits in 40 at-bats), 1 home run, 9 RBIs, 4 runs scored, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts, and 4 stolen bases, achieving an on-base percentage of .422, a slugging percentage of .600, and an OPS of 1.022.

Swinski, who hit 26 home runs in 2023, seems likely to make the opening roster given that he has a more advanced major league career than Bae Ji-hwan. However, Pittsburgh appears to have opted for including two outfielders on the roster while sending Stewart, who was expected to fill the void left by injured first baseman Hovey, to the minor leagues. Stewart, a right-handed hitter and left-handed thrower, has recorded 42 career home runs in the major leagues but did not leave a strong impression in spring training, with a batting average of .250 (10 hits in 40 at-bats), 1 home run, and 5 RBIs over 19 games, achieving an OPS of .798.

Although Bae Ji-hwan's batting pace slowed toward the end of spring training, he proved competitive with a batting average above .400 throughout. Pittsburgh will take a two-day break and then face the Miami Marlins in the season opener at Londeeppo Park on the 28th.

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