Rojas hits a hit
Professional baseball KT Wiz foreign batter Mel Rojas Jr. (33) starts the game in the first batting order for the first time in about 6 years.
KT wrote Rojas’ name in the top box of the starting lineup card for the first game of the doubleheader against the Doosan Bears to be held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 12th.
It has been 2,122 days since Rojas’ first batter appearance against the Gwangju KIA Tigers on July 21, 2018, during his second season in the KBO League.
Rojas, who hit 43 home runs in 2018, was a ‘hot-and-natured’ player who also succeeded in stealing 18 bases.
Unlike now, where he has a sluggish body type due to increased muscle mass, he looked sharper.
KT used Bae Jeong-dae as the number one hitter at the opening, but after Bae Jeong-dae left due to injury, they continued to put Cheon Seong-ho in that position.
The reason for appointing Rojas No. 1 revealed by KT coach Lee Kang-cheol is clear.
This is because the on-base percentage is high.
Manager Lee said, “I’m giving it a try since my on-base percentage is over .400.”
Rojas’ on-base percentage is 0.414, the highest among team hitters who filled the required number of at-bats. Cheon Seong-ho, who consistently played as the number one hitter, had an on-base percentage of 0.359.
Manager Lee said, “I think it would be better to just have more people who are afraid of hitting in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd batting order,” and added, “If it was a winning streak, I wouldn’t have been able to change it like this, but since the winning streak was broken, I tried changing it.” explained.
On this day, KT drew up a ‘fearful top batting lineup’ consisting of Rojas, Kang Baek-ho, and Moon Sang-cheol. Jang Seong-woo takes over as the number 4 hitter and takes on the role of problem solver.
Seongho Cheon was placed in the 9th batting order.
Regarding Chun Seong-ho, who is playing as the default number one hitter, manager Lee said, “Even if he hits that many hits, he doesn’t walk or get on base much. So, by placing him at number 9 (once the batting order goes around once), he can become the actual number one hitter. “It is,” he said. 고스톱