Shin-Soo Choo is nothing in 2010. Bae Ji-hwan (Pittsburgh Pirates) runs toward Ichiro Suzuki in 2001.
Bae Ji-hwan started at second base in the No. 8 spot in the lineup against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday (Nov. 17) at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, going 2-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored. His season batting average is .269.
Bae finally broke the 20-stolen base plateau. Trailing 1-4 in the top of the sixth inning, he drew a walk off Milwaukee right-hander Julio Teheran. He stole second base off Austin Hedges. His first stolen base in six games since Oct. 10 against the New York Mets.
Became the second Korean major leaguer to steal 20 bases in a season. Choo Shin-soo became the first Korean major leaguer to reach the 20-steal mark with 21 in 2009 while playing for the Cleveland Indians. His 22 stolen bases in 2010 is the most by a Korean major leaguer in a single season. Shin-Soo Choo stole 21 bases in 2012 and 20 bases in 2013 with the Cincinnati Reds.스포츠토토
It’s only a matter of time before Bae surpasses Shin-Soo Choo’s 2010 record of 22 stolen bases to become the most stolen bases by a Korean major leaguer in a single season. He could also become the first Korean major leaguer to reach 30 or 40 steals. As long as he stays healthy and doesn’t get sick.
What will be interesting to see is if Bae can surpass Ichiro Suzuki’s 2001 record for the most stolen bases in a season by an Asian major leaguer. Ichiro led the American League in stolen bases with 56 at the time. His 509 career stolen bases is the most by an Asian major leaguer in history.
Bae has stolen 20 bases in 63 games this season. Assuming he plays in all 94 of Pittsburgh’s remaining games, he’ll add 29.8 steals. That’s 49.8 stolen bases, or about 50 steals, which means he won’t reach his 2001 pace if he continues to steal at his current pace.
Bae Ji-hwan has also slowed down a bit from the beginning of the season. He stole 2 in March, 9 in April, 4 in May, and 5 in June. Compared to May, his pace has been faster. Ultimately, health and fitness will be key going forward. Major League Baseball teams travel extensively throughout the season. Players who don”t manage their fitness well won”t survive. Poor fitness can lead to an unbalanced batting lineup and a drop in both average and slugging percentage.
Bae’s stolen base rate is still high. In 26 attempts this season, he has been caught six times. That’s tied for the most stolen bases in the National League with Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves, 30). Acuna has 36 attempts and 30 successes. Bae is the second Steeler in the National League to play the most games this season behind Acuna.