He’s hitting hard in Triple-A, but the majors aren’t calling. Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bae Ji-hwan, 25, is finding his Major League Baseball career increasingly frustrating.

Starting at first base for Pittsburgh’s Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, Bae went 3-for-3 with one home run, one RBI, two walks, and one run scored against the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals) at Werner Park in Papillion, Nebraska, on Sunday (Feb. 22). He completed 100 percent of his plate appearances as a leadoff man.

Bae led off the first inning with a solo home run over the right field fence on a 91.7-mph fastball from left-hander Daniel Lynch IV. The pitch was clocked at 97.4 mph (about 156.8 kilometers).

It had been a while since Bae hit a home run. It had been 64 days since his last home run, which came on May 19 against the Toledo MudHens (Detroit Tigers affiliate).

Bae drew a walk with one out in the third inning and reached base on an infield single with two outs in the fourth inning. In the top of the seventh inning, he completed a three-hit game with a single up the middle with runners on second and first, then stole his 11th base of the season with a double.

With runners on second and third in the top of the ninth,

Bae was stranded. He reached base in all five of his at-bats, starting with an automatic walk. He followed that up with an RBI single to make it 2-0, but the team gave up three runs in the bottom of the ninth to fall to 2-3.

This year, Bae hasn’t been with the team from the opening day roster. He started the season in Triple-A after suffering a hip injury in spring training. Prior to his call-up, he was batting 36-for-98 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, and a 1.030 OPS in Triple-A. But it wasn’t until May 22 that he received his major league call-up. Since his call-up this year, he has gone 2-for-8 (5-for-24) with two home runs and two doubles in eight games. Add to that his unimpressive play at the plate and on defense. He showed flashes of brilliance but made errors in defense and at the plate, and a wrist injury landed him on the disabled list.

Bae is back, but he’s been in Triple-A again since June. In June, he focused on finding his groove. He was batting just 2-for-9 (10-for-34) with two RBIs. But in July, 파워볼사이트 추천 he’s been swinging the bat with high sensitivity again. In July, he’s 4-for-16 (40 at-bats) with one home run, seven RBIs, five runs scored, three doubles, and a 1.032 OPS.

At Triple-A, he’s 6-for-62 (172 at-bats) with five home runs, 24 RBIs, 32 runs scored, and a .955 OPS. His batting average is currently tops in the league despite not getting any Triple-A plate appearances.

His numbers show that he no longer needs to be proven at the Triple-A level.

However, his chances of getting a major league call-up are dwindling. With the major leagues and the Pittsburgh organization favoring younger, more promising players with similar skills and stats, his opportunities may be dwindling.

In 2018, Bae signed a $1.25 million contract with Pittsburgh to play in the major leagues. He was treated as Pittsburgh’s top prospect and made an exciting major league debut in 2022. However, in his third season after being called up until this year, Bae failed to establish himself. Just when he was looking to make his mark, injuries slowed him down. This season, as well as last year, he struggled with ankle injuries that prevented him from finishing.

His quick feet, ability to make contact, and multi-positional abilities have kept him out of the spotlight. Bae is now 25 years old. His major league career is at a crossroads.