This is the evaluation of commentator Kim Tae-hyeong, who was a manager with 645 wins in the KBO, for Hanwha foreign hitter Nick Williams. Williams wore a Hanwha uniform as a substitute foreign player for Brian O’Grady. However, in 20 games until the game against KIA in Gwangju on the 4th, 15 hits in 80 at-bats, a batting average of 0.188, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 9 runs, an OPS of 0.557, and a batting average of 0.130.
It is performance below expectations. He’s often been left out of the starting list lately. On the 4th, the Gwangju KIA match played as the 7th hitter and attacked KIA Yun Young-cheol’s first pitch slider and fired a mid-month solo shot with a distance of 125m. But even on this day, this one room was everything. The explosively driven taste is definitely lacking.
When Williams first joined, Hanwha coach Choi Won-ho expressed expectations that the mechanics of Eric Thames, the best foreign hitter in the KBO league, were similar. But Williams wasn’t Thames, and he’s less productive than most domestic hitters.
Recently, it has been evaluated that it is similar to the batting form of Juan Soto (San Diego Padres). He also revealed that he actually refers to Soto’s batting video. 안전놀이터 His stance is also open like Soto’s. What is clear is that he is going through the season without establishing his own clear mechanics. Commentator Kim Tae-hyung watched Williams’ blow while relaying the game on the 4th and said, “It’s urgent. At first, the point was very late, but now I hit it while chasing forward.” It was to the extent that the actual appearance of Williams moving forward before hitting was clearly confirmed through the relay broadcasting screen.
Will Williams be able to turn things around with a single home run? Commentator Lee Soon-cheol said, “Williams is the key to Hanwha’s future. Williams has to do it to go to the postseason.” Now the batting order can no longer go down, and there is no time. Adaptation is no longer an excuse. The replacement card has already been used. In the end, it’s time for Williams to show himself.
The best scenario for him is to return to the center of the batting line by consistently showing one shot he made in the 4th game. Coincidentally, as the power of the batting line declined overall in the second half of the year, Hanhwa’s dependence on Noh Si-hwan and Chae Eun-seong is high. To regain the uptrend at the end of the first half, Williams’ reversal is essential.