The Bae Effect: How Ji Hwan Bae Could be a Game Changer for the Pirates
It was a strong start to the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) as they won the opener on Cincinnati against the Reds 5-4. Amongst the ok start from Mitch Keller, the offenses inability to get a big hit, and the excitement of the first win of the season, one of the things I noticed was the Pirates ability to use small ball to their advantage. Of their five runs scored, four came by the Pirates showing patience at the plate and using small ball to generate runs. While most recap stories I have seen are gushing about Oneil Cruz's start to the season, the thing that stood out to me was the work of second baseman Ji Hwan Bae. He made his first career Opening Day start and went 2-3 with a double, a walk, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. He was a guy who I was hoping would make the trip north with the team from Spring Training and right from the get-go showed what difference he could make.
Bae's first at-bat came in the top of the third and right away Bae showed that spread was his biggest advantage. He laid a bunt down the third base line and legged out a two-out single. While it didn't look like much at the time, it helped turn over the Pirates lineup for the next inning, when Cruz would crush his first home run of the season. In his next at-bat in the top of the fourth, Bae sent a ball down the left field line for a double and immediately stole third to put a runner on third with one out. He would score a few batters later on a Bryan Reynolds walk, but he once again put pressure on the opposing pitcher from the get-go. After lining out in his third at-bats, Bae would walk his fourth time up and stole second. He moved to third on a sac bunt from Austin Hedges before coming home on a Cruz sac fly to ultimately win the game.
The key to Bae's success this season is going to lie with his ability to get on base. With the bigger bases this season coupled with the new kick-off rules, a guy like Bae can take advantage of those opportunities. Looking throughout Bae's career in the Minors, he has a .792 OPS in three seasons, with his highest OPS sitting at .833 when he was in Full A Greensboro. He only has one season where that OPS sat under the .782 mark, and that was during his first pro season with the Rookie Ball team. During that same stretch, Bae's On Base Percentage never fell below .360, a good sign for the Pirates moving forward. In order for Bae's speed to be a weapon, he has to reach base on a consistent basis and he has shown that he can do that throughout his career.
Once he is on base, Bae becomes even more of a menace to the opposing pitching staff with his ability to steal bases. This has been a part of Bae's game that has been prominent throughout his career and can only be helped by the bigger bases. Bae has stolen 20+ bases in three of his four professional seasons and has stolen 30+ bases two times. Bae put that base stealing ability on display yesterday, when he swiped two bags and set up opportunities for the offense to score runs. Bae is one of the fastest players not only on the Pirates but in the entire MLB, with his sprint speed ranking in the 90th percentile. He will be using that speed all season long to try and leg out hits and cause havoc on the base paths.
How does all this help the Pirates in 2023? Simple, Bae gives them an option to generate runs during big moments in the game, whether he is in the starting lineup that day or not. If the Pirates are in need of a pinch runner, Bae can come in and run for anyone and it immediately ups the pressure. With only two chances to try and pick off Bae, once those two chances are gone, Bae can let loose and essentially steal bases at will. With Bae's versatility, being able to play second base, shortstop, third base, and the outfield, you don't have to worry about losing much in defense when you make those base running changes. Bae can be a guy who enters in a big late game situation and can then go out to the field and provide solid defense wherever he plays.
Manager Derek Shelton said that the starting second baseman will likely be determined by matchup, but with Bae out there he gives you that speed threat that you don't have with Rodolfo Castro. Bae made a big impression on Opening Day and only time will tell how that translates into his first full Big League season.
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