"I will watch for a month."

KIA Tigers foreign player Patrick Wisdom (31) is showcasing the class of 88 home runs in Major League Baseball. Manager Lee Beom-ho said he would watch for a month for adaptation, but Wisdom is revealing his prowess in just one week. He has shown the ability to defend both first and third base, and is also evaluated positively for his work ethic that considers the team.

KIA made a difficult decision after completing last year's season. They decided not to re-sign Socrates Brito, who had a batting average of .320 with 21 home runs and 90 RBIs over three years. It was almost like a gamble. The main reason was the need for strong right-handed power. Socrates struggled against left-handed pitchers and lacked explosiveness.

They made an official announcement. It was the signing of Wisdom, who hit 20 home runs for three consecutive years in Major League Baseball. With the addition of Wisdom, who has strong destructive power, a native core lineup led by Kim Do-young, Choi Hyung-woo, and Na Sung-bum anticipated a tremendous synergy effect. At the same time, concerns arose as he had a strikeout rate nearing 38% in Major League Baseball. There were fears that he could be affected by the KBO League pitchers, who throw a lot of various breaking balls and enticing pitches.

An interesting observation was that Choi Hyung-woo noted that Wisdom has a swing that struggles to strike out and possesses tremendous power. However, he did not show a standout performance in spring camp practice games and exhibition games. His timing on fastballs was late, and he was also slow to react to breaking balls. Similar patterns were observed in the first two games of the season. This indicated an intention to consciously see a lot of pitches from KBO pitchers.

Manager Lee Beom-ho said after the two opening games, "The types of pitches thrown in the American League and KBO League are different. It seems like it would be okay to be more aggressive, but he has something he possesses. They have only played two games so far. He claims that KBO pitchers throw balls that are difficult for him to hit, long balls that get away from him. Since he has the ability to be patient, he will find a good timing. I will watch for about a month."

It was indeed a time for adaptation. He experienced the various breaking balls of KBO League pitchers and the ABS zone. Although he didn't hit a long ball, he also showed an eye for the strike zone that made it hard for him to get strikeouts. He also regularly drew walks. Merely after the first two opening games, he gradually began to display the instincts of a monster. In the game against Kiwoom Heroes in Gwangju on the 25th, he hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning while leading 5-3, launching a 110-meter left-field arc.

During the three-game series against Hanwha over the past weekend, he hit home runs in all games. In the first game on the 28th, he activated a left-field solo home run against Ponce in the 7th inning while leading 1-0. He became the owner of the official first home run in the opening of Daejeon Hanwha Life Baseball Park. In the game on the 29th, following Choi Hyung-woo's two-run homer in the first inning, he hit back-to-back left-field solo homers against Weiss. In the game on the 30th, he hit a solo home run in the 6th inning to tie the score at 2-2 against Ryu Hyun-jin.

In eight games, he has a batting average of .292 (34 at-bats, 24 hits, 7 hits), with 4 home runs, 8 RBIs, 9 walks, and 6 strikeouts, on-base percentage of .471, slugging percentage of .833, and OPS of 1.304. He ranks first in home runs, second in slugging percentage, and third in OPS. He has struck out 6 times in 34 at-bats, resulting in a strikeout rate of 17.6%. He has drawn 9 walks, tying for first place. He has clearly completed his adaptation.

Moreover, he is strong against left-handed pitchers with a batting average of .333. If he adapts fully, his destructive power is expected to grow even more. Whether as a first baseman or third baseman, his defensive skills are indeed top-notch as expected from a former Major Leaguer. He has managed to receive difficult throws from infielders and smoothly handled tricky hits from batters. He has slowly begun to reveal his true value in both offense and defense.

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