Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 314

313. I’m Going Too

The three years Han Su-hyeok played in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] League were incredibly inspiring to Korean baseball fans, experts, and many players who shared the field with him.

Han Su-hyeok achieved a batting average of over .400 for three consecutive years, hit more than 60 home runs, and secured 20 wins in two consecutive years, excluding his first season when he started as a two-way player later than usual.

In particular, his final season in Korea saw him record an unbelievable batting average of .441, an on-base percentage of .576, a slugging percentage of 1.257, 73 home runs, 163 RBIs [Runs Batted In], and 50 stolen bases. Along with 23 wins and an ERA [Earned Run Average] of 0.28 in 28 starts, these records were so incredible that they would likely remain unbroken until the end of Korean baseball.

What’s truly amazing is that Han Su-hyeok’s performance hardly declined after moving to the world’s top league, the Big League [Major League Baseball, or MLB].

With two-thirds of the season completed, Han Su-hyeok is batting .420 with an on-base percentage of .525, a slugging percentage of 1.098, and 54 home runs.

His OPS [On-Base Plus Slugging] only dropped by 0.21, from 1.833 to 1.623.

However, it’s hard to call that a decline, as his home run count hasn’t decreased at all. In fact, he is expected to surpass the Big League single-season record of 73 home runs.

What about Han Su-hyeok the pitcher?

In his final KBO season in 2029, Han Su-hyeok pitched 180 innings in 28 starts, achieving 23 wins and an ERA of 0.28, an immortal record that will never be broken unless a miracle occurs.

Currently, in the Big League, Han Su-hyeok has pitched 148 innings in 19 starts, securing 15 wins with an ERA of just 0.49.

In summary:

His performance has indeed declined.

By a tiny, tiny bit.

Thwack!

– Well, the Mariners are trailing 3-1, giving up an additional point. Han Su-hyeok is at the plate. What will he do… Ah! There it goes! There it goes! Han Su-hyeok’s hit goes over again! Again! His 55th two-run home run of the season! Seattle, trailing 3-1, quickly ties the game!

– See! What did I tell you? There’s no need to worry about Han Su-hyeok! He faltered a bit with the intentional walks in the Texas game, those cowardly… ahem, Texas games, but he overcame it with his own strength, right? And he’s back to hitting home runs as if to prove it! I guarantee it. He can hit not just 74, but 80 home runs this season. 100%!

Han Su-hyeok’s house, without Han Su-hyeok.

More precisely, the apartment in Jamsil [a district in Seoul] that Han Su-hyeok lent to his two colleagues for free when he left Korea.

Seo Hyeong-ju sat on the living room sofa, watching TV with a serious expression.

Han Su-hyeok’s Big League debut season home run record had just increased to 55 with that home run.

His honest feeling was:

‘Is that guy crazy?’

An OPS drop of about 0.21 compared to last season.

However, Seo Hyeong-ju thought that it wasn’t a performance decline due to the difference in league level.

He saw it as a transitional period for adapting to a completely different league.

Looking at his performance since June, it becomes even clearer. There’s almost no difference from when he played in the KBO.

He didn’t even want to evaluate Han Su-hyeok the pitcher.

It wasn’t his area of expertise, and he didn’t see the difference between an ERA of 0.28 and 0.49.

He felt it was a pointless debate, like arguing whether a lion is stronger than a tiger.

Anyway,

Seo Hyeong-ju and Ahn Chi-wook were growing into much better players than their original destinies, thanks to playing with Han Su-hyeok.

Especially Ahn Chi-wook, who saw Han Su-hyeok more as an idol than a rival, while Seo Hyeong-ju was still burning with competitiveness towards him.

As Seo Hyeong-ju watched, the game between the two teams continued.

Unlike yesterday, today’s game was a slugfest.

In the inning after Han Su-hyeok’s home run tied the game at 3-3, the Angels took the lead again with Lee Chan-ho’s timely hit, adding 1 point.

The Angels’ momentum, which had been steadily rising, didn’t stop there.

In the top of the 5th inning, the Angels added another home run, taking a 5-3 lead by two points.

And in the bottom of the 6th inning, Han Su-hyeok stepped up to the plate again.

– The Seattle Mariners are trailing by two points, but this time the batting order is good. The Mariners’ attack in the bottom of the 6th starts with Han Su-hyeok, the number 2 hitter.

– Yes, Han Su-hyeok is having a great day. He had home runs in two consecutive at-bats. I’m curious to see what he’ll do in his third at-bat.

LA Angels’ third starter, Rafael Rodriguez, was a powerful power pitcher whose strength was evident even on TV.

A heavy fastball reaching 102 mph, a decent changeup, and a curveball.

A monster who would surely dominate the KBO if he were to pitch there.

But that monster was sweating bullets in front of a real monster of a different caliber.

As Han Su-hyeok lightly swung his bat, large beads of sweat dripped from Rafael’s forehead.

The advancement of modern technology sometimes provides a harsh environment for those who are the subject of it.

In an era where 16K cameras and TVs are common, celebrities live in an age where every pore, not just the pores but even the fine hairs around them, are exposed to the public.

It’s not just celebrities. Athletes also have to worry about how they look on screen.

Rafael’s face, caught on the broadcast camera, was flushed red as if it would explode at any moment, and sweat dripped down like someone eating spicy food.

With a very annoyed expression, he exchanged signs with the catcher and finally nodded up and down.

And a white ball was launched from his fingertips.

You could tell at a glance.

That the ball was the most powerful one Rafael could throw.

But,

Thwaaaaaack!

With a tremendous cracking sound, Han Su-hyeok’s hit soared into the sky.

The hit, which flew at an angle that seemed impossible to clear the fence, landed at the very top of the left field stands, his trademark.

At the same time, Rafael Rodriguez fell to his knees on the mound with a pale face.

Even though he had allowed a home run, the Angels were still leading the game.

However, the momentum of the game had already shifted to Seattle.

Thwack!

Seo Hyeong-ju, seeing Ty Johnson, who came up after Han Su-hyeok, hit a double that hit the right field fence directly, turned off the TV and jumped up from his seat.

Then, he opened Ahn Chi-wook’s closed door and went inside.

“Hey, pig. Wake up.”

“Ugh… what? What time is it? I have to train in the afternoon, let me sleep in.”

“You, you son of a… Can you sleep at a time like this?”

“…What? What’s so special about this time? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Su-hyeok, that bastard, has three home runs… Forget it, get up quickly. If you don’t get up, I’ll bring cold water and pour it on you.”

“Wait! Okay, stop! I got it!”

Ahn Chi-wook, who had already been doused with water by Seo Hyeong-ju once, was startled and got up from his seat.

“Put on your training clothes and come out. 10 laps around the park before breakfast. Okay?”

“Hey, if I run too much on an empty stomach, I might get gastritis.”

“Don’t talk nonsense and gather in the living room in 5 minutes.”

“…Haa, since Su-hyeok is gone, now someone else is.”

Seo Hyeong-ju, after confirming that Ahn Chi-wook was getting up, returned to his room and changed into his training clothes.

“Just you wait… I’m going too. Han Su-hyeok.”

From the time he debuted as a professional until now, Seo Hyeong-ju’s goal has been only one: Han Su-hyeok.

With such a rival and the biggest goal of his life flying around in the Big League, there was only one thing Seo Hyeong-ju could do.

“I’m going to go via posting [a system that allows KBO players to move to MLB] at the end of this season. No matter what.”

To advance to the Big League himself.

That was the bare minimum goal to catch up with Han Su-hyeok.

Recently, Park Seong-hoon, the owner of the Warriors, said directly in an interview.

That if a player records the best performance in the league, regardless of who it is, regardless of years or experience, he will actively support their advancement to the United States.

Seo Hyeong-ju thought.

Where should the standard for the best performance in the KBO League be set?

Han Su-hyeok is excluded for now. If he is the standard, no domestic player will be able to advance overseas.

A more realistic goal was needed, and there happened to be a perfect sample there.

Lee Chan-ho, who was called the best hitter in Korea excluding Han Su-hyeok, the last record he made just before advancing to the American stage.

A batting average of .348, an on-base percentage of .420, a slugging percentage of .574, 22 home runs, 112 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases.

‘Hmm…….’

As he entered his fourth year, Seo Hyeong-ju made some changes to his play style.

It wasn’t exactly copying Han Su-hyeok, but following the claims of sabermetricians [baseball statistics analysts] that increasing long hits and reducing stolen bases would have a more positive impact on productivity as a leadoff hitter…….

Damn it, the truth is he just copied him.

Seeing that monstrous guy give up stolen bases to increase home runs even more, Seo Hyeong-ju also bulked up and saw some results.

There was a thrilling moment when his batting average once fell below .300 while adapting to his changed body, but he raised his performance to a batting average of .320, an on-base percentage of .405, a slugging percentage of .515, 11 home runs, and 17 stolen bases as of the first week of August, when the second half of the season began in earnest.

Stolen bases are done for now. The remaining goal is to add about 10 more home runs during the remaining season and raise the batting average to the mid-.300s.

After achieving that level of performance, he will declare to the club owner and the fans.

That Seo Hyeong-ju is challenging the American stage.

“Good, very good.”

Just imagining it makes his heart flutter as if he had already received an offer from an American club.

He closed his eyes tightly and felt that pleasant fluttering feeling, when,

“Hey, come out quickly. Let’s run and eat.”

“Aish, I was having a good emotional moment.”

“What are you talking about? You said let’s go quickly. I’m all ready.”

Suddenly, he was slightly worried about who would control that fatty if even he left, but he decided to abandon that thought.

Even though he looks like that, he is the Warriors’ main hitter, who is expected to reach the 30 home run mark for the first time since his debut this season.

He will live well on his own even without him.

“Let’s go, pig.”

“Hey, how many times do I have to say it? This isn’t fat, it’s muscle, okay?”

“Whatever, come out quickly.”

The two, who had finished preparing, took the elevator and arrived on the first floor of the apartment.

He took out his smartphone and checked the broadcast of Han Su-hyeok’s game, and Seattle, who had been trailing 5-4, had already turned the game around to 5-6.

It wasn’t surprising at all.

When Han Su-hyeok went crazy like that, the team’s victory naturally followed.

Forcibly dismissing the memories of that time when he felt a sense of stability playing on the same team as him, memories that he now even missed, Seo Hyeong-ju took a vigorous step forward.

“We’re cutting it off within an hour today. If you’re even 1 minute late, dessert is confiscated.”

“What? Hey! Seo Hyeong-ju! Wait up! Wait for me!”