Oh Jae-il holds the key to Samsung’s infield generation replacement? What does it mean?
Samsung is considered to have a relatively weak infield.
After giving up veteran infielders Kim Sang-soo and Oh Sun-jin to FA, a hole was made in the backup line. Lee Jae-hyun has to play as a starting shortstop, and second baseman Kim Ji-chan is not an experienced player.
However, there is a player who can relieve Samsung’s worries. First baseman Oh Jae-il is the main character. Analysts say that he has the talent to help Samsung change its generation in both offense and defense.
First of all, the defense is excellent. Experts say that he has the most outstanding defense skills among the first baseman in the KBO League.
In particular, the advantage is that the port is stable, so it can give comfort to other fielders. His catch ability is said to be the foundation for Samsung’s younger infield growth.
Commentator A, a former infielder, said, “The pace of growth of the two infielders depends on how the first baseman plays the catch. If the first baseman’s catch is unstable, the fielder who throws will also be shaken by anxiety. If such a situation is repeated, growth will be difficult. How the first baseman catches the ball has a great influence on the development of infielder skills. If there is a catch that can make up for mistakes, his skills can improve that much. In that sense, Oh Jae-il’s presence is absolute. Samsung infielders are not good at throwing, but it may not be too obvious because Oh Jae-il is holding out. It is expected that Samsung infielders will be able to show more improved skills throughout this season. At the center is Oh Jae-il. Oh Jae-il’s share was considerable even though Doosan’s young fielders grew rapidly. A similar phenomenon could occur in Samsung, he said.
It can be said that Oh Jae-il’s share in the attack is very large. In particular, he is highly praised for being a batter who can hit a home run.
Oh Jae-il’s batting average was 0.268 last year, which was not very high.
However, he was responsible for the team’s long-hitting power by bringing in 94 RBIs with 21 home runs. His slugging percentage was 0.491.
Samsung has a relatively small home stadium. However, there are not many players who can hit home runs, so they are always in the red in home runs.
Oh Jae-il is a player who can fill the vacancy. Foreign player Pirella is far from the typical big gun style. If Oh Jae-il’s home run does not keep pace, Samsung’s destructive power will inevitably decrease significantly.
Oh Jae-il signed a four-year, 5 billion won FA contract with Samsung in the 2021 season. And it is evaluated that he has done his ransom for two years.
My shoulders are a little heavier this season. The success of the Samsung infield generation exchange depends on his mitt. It’s not too much to say. On top of that, more home runs are needed at bat.
Will Oh Jae-il be able to overcome all those burdens and lead his team to autumn baseball? This year is the season when Oh Jae-il’s true value should be exercised.