Hanwha Eagles’ Nick Williams (30) hit his second home run of the season to lead his team to victory.
Williams went 1-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored while starting in left field in the No. 7 spot in the lineup against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on June 26.
Williams, who came to Hanwha as a replacement foreign hitter for Brian O’Grady, who was released after struggling mightily this season, raised expectations with four hits and one home run in his first four games. However, he gradually fell into a slump and his batting average dropped to 1-for-6 in the last 12 days. He was initially placed in the fourth spot in the batting order, then dropped to the seventh spot, and finally batted eighth on the 25th. “There’s nowhere to go but down,” Choi Won-ho said in a playful yet poignant tone.
Williams, who had been struggling to break out of his slump, hit his second home run of the season in four consecutive games to spark a rebound. In her postgame interview, Williams said, “It feels really good. I feel a little more comfortable at the plate now. It’s a new league, new pitchers, so I’m adjusting. The fastball feels different. The velocity is different, the pitching angle is different. I feel like I’m definitely adjusting and getting more comfortable,” he said with confidence.
“Baseball can be a very stressful sport,” Williams admitted, “but I’m not a player who is affected by that a lot. I’m more discouraged and frustrated when I’m not doing what I need to do for the team, like batting for the team at the plate.”카지노
As for what he’s trying to do to break out of his slump, Williams said, “I’ve been trying to start with small things. I think in baseball, small changes can have a big impact. My coaches found little things that I needed to change, and we talked about it a lot. We’re still making changes now.”
“I look at a lot of the same left-handed hitters,” Williams said. “I watch Juan Soto (San Diego) the most, and I watch a lot of Carlos Gonzalez and Can Griffey Jr. “Especially the guy who was the hitting coordinator when I was drafted, and he’s now the hitting coach in San Diego. I talk to him a lot and get advice from him.”
Hanwha’s recent two-game winning streak has kept them within 2.5 games of fifth-place KT. Williams’ performance will be crucial if Hanwha is to remain in contention for a postseason berth. “I guess you could say my goal is simply to make it to fall baseball,” Williams said, adding that he is looking forward to fall baseball.