Bae Ji-hwan, 24, is now a major force for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). Now he’s the face of the team’s new meaningful uniforms.
The Pittsburgh Pirates unveiled their “City Connect uniforms” on their official social media accounts on Feb. 22 (KST), with Bae appearing as the face of the new jerseys.
According to MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, the jerseys emphasize the black and gold colors of the Pittsburgh area, capturing the city’s past glory and anticipation for the future. There are several symbols that represent Pittsburgh, such as the Y on the jersey (representing the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers into the Ohio River) and the phrase “We bleed black and gold” (our blood is black and yellow).
Pittsburgh released a photo of 10 players wearing the City Connect jerseys with the words “a story of history and reinvention filled with pride. Team leader Andrew McCutchen (37), Brian Reynolds (28), the recipient of the highest contract in franchise history (eight years, $167.5 million), and O’Neill Cruz (25), the club’s go-to shortstop, are among the players modeling the jerseys.
That’s a sign of how much Bae is loved by the team. Through 22 games, Bae is batting .254 with two home runs, 18 RBIs, 20 doubles, and a .648 OPS in 68 games this season. He is the second Korean to reach the 20-stolen base plateau in a single season after Choo Shin-soo (41-SSG) and is a utility player who can play center field, second base, and shortstop.
He is also highly regarded locally. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on April 14 (KST), “Bae is incredibly fast. Only 11 major leaguers have a faster average sprint speed than his (29.7 feet per second). His average time to first base is 4.05 seconds, which ranks first in the majors.” “If this is truly how Bae has toned it down, the Pittsburgh organization should be thrilled with the talent. “Even though he makes some batted ball decisions that bypass him at times, Bae has been incredible in center field. Honestly, he could be Pittsburgh’s best middle infield option right now.”
With this kind of performance, Bae is slowly cementing his place in the lineup. He was given the opportunity when Cruz was injured at shortstop, but now he’s playing a lot of games in an Altoran-like role for the team. 안전놀이터
Pittsburgh will unveil the City Connect jerseys at home against San Diego on April 28. Coincidentally, Bae will be wearing the new outfits in front of fellow Korean leaguer Kim Ha-seong, 28. “Pittsburgh plans to wear the City Connect uniforms for every Friday home game except Roberto Clemente Day (Sept. 15),” according to MLB.com.