Will another ‘KBO-born’ player succeed in the big leagues? The main character is Mike Tuckman (Chicago Cubs) from the Hanwha Eagles.
Tuchman started against the New York Mets in Chicago on the 25th (Korean time) and recorded 2 hits in 4 at-bats.메이저사이트
What is particularly noteworthy is that the starting pitcher for the Mets that day was Senga Godai, famous for his “ghost fork.” Senga is making a soft landing in his debut season, recording 4 wins and 3 losses with an ERA of 3.94.
On the other hand, Tuchman failed to renew his contract despite struggling with Hanwha last year with a batting average of .289, 12 homers, 43 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.795. He showed off stable defense as a center fielder, while performing well with quick feet, impressive base runs, and one-shot hits, but Hanwha’s choice was ‘Geopo’ Brian O’Grady.
Tuckman, who was knocking on the door of the major leagues again, was called up on the 20th, taking a chance due to Cody Bellinger’s knee injury. The 25th is Tuchman’s 5th big league game this season.
Tuchman led his team to a 4-2 victory by hitting consecutive left-handed hits (1 RBI) against Senga in the 2nd and 3rd innings. He also raised his big league batting average to 3.6 4 Lee (4 hits in 11 at-bats).
The originator of the so-called ‘reverse exporter’ is Eric Thames. He made his KBO League debut in 2014 in an NC uniform after getting big league tastes in Toronto and Seattle. Over the next three years, he literally dominated the league with a monstrous performance of a career batting average of 349, 124 homers, 382 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.172.
Mike Tuchman. AP Yonhap News
After that, he re-entered the major leagues and played for the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals. Although he wasn’t as dominant as he was in Korea, he hit 72 home runs in 3 years in Milwaukee, and showed off his decent skills by recording an OPS of 0.877 in the first year of his debut.
Among pitchers, Meryl Kelly (Arizona Diamondbacks) is a case of great success. After recording a career record of 48 wins and 32 losses with an ERA of 3.86 at SK Wyverns, he returned to the major leagues and recorded a total of 41 wins and 38 losses in his 5th year in Arizona, playing the role of a practical ace.
Other than these, Brooks Reilly (New York Mets), Chris Flexen (Seattle Mariners), Darin Ruff (former San Francisco Giants), etc. have performed well, and Ben Lively (Cincinnati Reds) is also stretching this year.
Can Tuchman become another ‘reverse export myth’? This is the reason why the hearts of Hanwha fans watching O’Grady hit the floor are all the more bitter.