Can the Japanese national team’s fourth batsman regain his pride this year? For now, the outlook for him is positive.
The Major League Baseball official website (MLB.com) predicted on the 6th (Korean time) the player who will hit the most home runs in the 2023 season by club.
In the Chicago Cubs, the name of Seiya Suzuki (29), a Japanese major leaguer, appeared. It is expected that Suzuki will hit 25 home runs this year and leave a name as the hitter with the most home runs in the Cubs.
Suzuki, who played an active part as the fourth hitter for the Japanese national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, recorded a batting average of .317, 38 homers, and 88 RBIs at the Hiroshima Carp in the 2021 season, and showed off the majesty of the giant cannon안전놀이터. His career record in Japanese professional baseball was a batting average of .315, 182 home runs and 562 RBIs.
Based on these performances, Suzuki signed a five-year, $85 million (approximately 106.7 billion won) contract with the Cubs ahead of last season, and entered the big league stage with splendor. He got off to a good start. He earned National League Rookie of the Month honors for the month of April as he batted .279 with 4 home runs and 14 RBI. However, due to a finger injury, he could not continue his April momentum, and eventually had to be content with a batting average of .262, 14 homers, 46 RBIs and 9 stolen bases. Although he was a giant hitter representing Japan, the number of homers he left in his debut season in the major leagues was 14, just 3 gaps behind Kim Ha-seong (11).
It can also be referred to as an adaptation period. Celebrating his second year in the major leagues, the time has now come for him to show something. ‘MLB.com’ predicted Suzuki’s rebound.
“Suzuki’s power did not shine in his rookie season, but as a player who hit 38 homers in Hiroshima in the 2021 Nippon Professional Baseball, he is definitely a player with potential,” the media said. He explains that the figure he showed during his time in Japan has not yet been displayed 100%.
Meanwhile, ‘MLB.com’ picked Cody Bellinger as a player to watch out for in the Cubs. The Cubs signed Bellinger to a one-year, $17.5 million contract after a non-tender release from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The media predicted that Bellinger would hit 18 home runs in 2023.