‘Pirate Captain’ Andrew McCutchen has high praise for rookie Bae Ji-hwan.
“He’s a very important piece of the puzzle,” McCutchen said of his teammate in an interview with ‘Pittsburgh Trip-Live’ on Feb. 2 (KST).
Bae, who made his first full-time big league start this season, is batting .240 with a .309 on-base percentage, .316 slugging percentage, two home runs, 23 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 88 games.
“He uses his speed to get on base, steal bases and make plays on the basepaths,” McCutchen said, adding that Bae is “a very important part of the team.”
On defense, Bae splits time between second base and center field. He’s made some mistakes on defense, but he’s also made his presence felt with some spectacular catches.
“He’s showing what he can do when he’s on the field,” McCutchen said. “He’s like a burner. He doesn’t know when to turn it on and off yet. When he goes out there, he just gives it 100 percent. That’s something that will take time.”
McCutchen, who made his big league debut at age 22, one year younger than Bae, was Pittsburgh’s starting left fielder until he was moved to right field in 2018. Bae’s 21 stolen bases this year remain the most by a Pittsburgh rookie since McCutchen stole 22 in 2009.
With quick feet and a penchant for playing center field defense, Bae’s current form bears many similarities to McCutchen’s younger days.카지노
As Pittsburgh’s Trip-Live wrote, “McCutchen seems to see himself in the 24-year-old South Korean.”
On Bae’s defense in center field, McCutchen said, “He’s not used to playing center field, so it’s going to take some getting used to. But he’s playing very good defense. He’s played fantastic defense. To be honest, I think he’s going to be a very good center fielder.”
Meanwhile, Bae is expected to start at second base in the first game of today’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals.