Experienced Puig and 'RBI Machine' Cardinez How to Deploy the Best Synergy

Experienced Puig and 'RBI Machine' Cardinez How to Deploy the Best Synergy

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Kiwoom has been leading the team in batting average (0.314) in eight games since the season's opening through Sunday. The team also ranks second (49 points) after Samsung (56 points). The team has secured two foreign hitters to strengthen its batting lineup. Kiwoom is agonizing over how to combine the two sluggers Yasiel Puig and Ruben Cardinez to maximize its offense power.

Unlike other teams, Kiwoom is able to "combine" the batting order of foreign hitters. Since the opening, the batting order has been maintained as the first hitter Puig and the third hitter, Kadynes. Lee Ju-hyung, who took charge of the team's leadoff last year, went down to No. 2. Cardinals, Song Sung-moon, and Choi Joo-hwan make up the clean-up trio. Puig and Kadynes are both long-distance hitters. Puig had 21 home runs for Kiwoom in 2022, and Kadynes played for Samsung in seven games last year, with eight hits, including two doubles and two homers. When both players played in the KBO league in the past, they were placed at the center batting line.

Both players have played key roles in boosting Kiwoom's momentum early in the season. During the eight games, Puig has scored 10 points and posted a batting average of 0.324. Cardinez has recorded RBIs in seven consecutive games since the opening until the 29th, setting a tie for the most consecutive games since the opening. Cardinez has a whopping 16 RBIs in eight games.

On the criteria that separated the batting order from No. 1 to No. 3, Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki mentioned "Experience." "Puig is a little ahead of (Cardines) in experience because he played in Korea in 2022," Hong said. "Sometimes he goes out in a hurry with aggression, but he prioritized experience and decided to take the leadoff." Puig, who is 188 centimeters tall and 108 kilograms, also judged that his size fits the image of a "strong No. 1 hitter."

As Puig went up to No. 1, Kiwoom's top hitter felt more pressure. No. 1 to No. 5 are practically all sluggers who can hit home runs. Coach Hong said, "I think the flow will be okay in offense if only one or two people get on base in the lower batting line and lead to the top batting line."

"I thought that we can strategically increase the number of pitches thrown by opposing pitchers only when we drop the batting order of Puig and Cadinez," Hong said. This strategy makes it more difficult for opposing pitchers to pitch by alternately deploying foreign and domestic batters.

Puig and Cardinez have shown good performance not only in batting but also in outfield defense. In particular, Cardinez, who played quarterback position while playing American football as a child, boasts strong shoulders. In the match against SSG on the 28th, Cardinez quickly threw a hit by Guillermo Herredia, who fell deep into the outfield, and posted an out count. Herredia, who was running with confidence of a double, was tagged out at second base. 메이저사이트

Coach Hong said, "Cardines has the idea that he can throw stronger and more accurately than anyone else," adding, "I think such bodhisattvas played a big role in our victory."