Chapter 738 – Episode 725. A Left-Handed Fireballer Who Would Bring You From Hell. (2)

2B Maeng-Ho, Ji

17G 32H 10HR 30R 25RBI 13BB 7K 16SB 1CS

0.471/0.542/1.088/1.630

WAR/2.9 wOBA/0.637 wRC+/306.7 OPS+/314

: Currently ranked first in all hitter records, including hits, home runs, batting average, runs scored, RBI, stolen bases, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, WAR, wRC+, and OPS+. In the last two games against us, he recorded 4 hits in 7 at-bats, 3 walks, and 1 home run.

Although he failed to steal one base against the Angels, it doesn’t seem easy to catch him on base, considering he recorded two stolen bases in the first game. You need to be careful about getting on base.

At the beginning of the game, he appears to be watching the first pitch. However, there is a record of turning the first pitch into a home run, so it is necessary to throw the first pitch carefully.

Shows a stronger side when driven to two strikes.

It is possible to deal with outside balls, and since Yankee Stadium has a short right fence, inside balls may be more effective.

Good response to curves. When looking at Korean times and international competitions, the curves appear to be clearly distinguishable. Needs attention.

His response to change-ups is also good, but while he clears all balls that enter the zone, he doesn’t seem to react to balls that hit the borderline. Could a borderline changeup be a key point?

When I saw him playing against Manuel González, his response to fast balls was also good. However, if you look at the data against fast balls near 100 mph, you need to look further.

Seeing that he didn’t put his hand on a breaking ball that went out of the zone, it was judged to be a good pitching plan.

Considering that he sometimes misses at ridiculous balls, he appears to be a perfect guess hitter, but that doesn’t happen very often.

The following are Ji’s hitting records by velocity, pitch type, and course. However, since it is a small sample, it does not seem to have much significance.

-1. 4-Seam (over 98mph) vs

…

‘… Fuck, did you write this as a report?’

That’s what McClanahan felt while looking at Ji Maeng-ho’s power analysis data before the game started.

What kind of report says there are no weaknesses for a player, only that he has good response and needs to be careful?

McClanahan had never even heard of such power analysis data. The only weakness he has is that he occasionally misses swings on balls that hit the borderline, but there was no batter who was good at hitting balls that hit the borderline in the first place, and there was no hitter who didn’t swing and miss in the first place.

‘Fuck, I could use something like this.’

McClanahan felt the report was garbage. The only meaningful information that can be obtained from the report is that it is exceptionally strong against curves?

A type with no answer.

That was the assessment of Ji Maeng-ho that McClanahan, who is said to be the best left-handed pitcher in the major leagues, felt after reading the report.

‘I thought there was a chance we could meet in the major leagues someday, but I can’t believe we’ve grown like this.’

In fact, McClanahan knew Ji Maeng-ho well before he came to the major leagues. That’s because he had a strong memory of hitting a home run against himself in the 2023 WBC finals, and it was no exaggeration to say that the memory of that day changed McClanahan’s life.

That day, McClanahan, who hit a home run in Korea, a baseball outskirt, by a rookie batter who had not even debuted as a professional, was greatly shocked, and thinking that even a rookie could attack his pitch, he realized the need for a change-up to deal with right-handed batters. I felt it.

And from that day on, McClanahan was able to refine his changeup and become the best left-handed pitcher in the major leagues.

Is this a natural result, as they have a fastball that can reach up to 101 mph, a curveball that takes off the timing, a slider to deal with left-handed batters, and a change-up to deal with right-handed batters?

In 2024, he appeared in 30 games and struck out 225 batters in 184 innings, winning 14 games with an ERA of 2.89. In season 25, his performance was not as good, but in 2026, he appeared in 31 games and struck out 226 batters in 190 innings, hitting 2.23. He recorded 17 wins with an ERA of. He showed off his best performance, ranking 2nd in the AL Cy Young.

And that overwhelming pitching continued this year.

McClanahan’s records this year were 37 strikeouts in 27.2 innings in 4 games, 3 wins, and an ERA of 1.30, currently the best performance in both major leagues.

However, even to McClanahan, the best pitcher, Ji Maeng-ho was a hitter who made no sense. Since it was a small sample, I felt like I could feel the pressure I felt through the video even to myself outside the video, even if I put aside the ratio stats and saber matrices that go beyond common sense.

From the moment he hit a home run against himself, he had a feeling he would see him in the major leagues, and to show up like this as a top hitter…

‘Okay, let’s hang out together, it’ll be fun for the first time in a while.’

Of course, McClanahan was also the best pitcher in the major leagues, so he wasn’t afraid. Rather, did you feel a sense of victory?

At that time, he wanted to show the young hitter, who gave him great insight, that he had become the best pitcher in the major leagues.

‘I received a home run as a gift back then, so I guess I can give him a strikeout in return this time. Well, three would be fine.’

Power analysis that seems to have no answer? That wasn’t important. The power analysis data that seems to have no answer is simply the performance recorded against other pitchers. Because he didn’t have the record chosen against him.

‘And once this game is over, it will be one line in the power analysis data of the next team that will meet Ji Maeng-ho. Like other hitters, McClanahan is weak. Pitchers should try to pitch like McClanahan. … ‘Like this.’

Time passed as McClanahan looked forward to a match with Ji Maeng-ho, and before we knew it, the third match had begun.

[… Rodon blocks Rays’ hitters with a three-way throw.]

[In today’s game, Luis Torrance wore a catcher’s mask instead of starting catcher Logan Ohapee, and the two look good together. Last year, Rodon and Ohapi had good chemistry, but this year something seemed off. We’ll have to watch more games to find out, but right now, changing the catcher seems to be working.]

And although Yankees’ starter Rodon ended the top of the first inning with a three-way error, McClanahan was unfazed. The game was long anyway, and he didn’t care as long as the batters gave up one run while he was blocking the Yankees’ lineup.

The opponent’s leadoff hitter is Ji Maeng-ho, a flawless hitter when looking at power analysis data alone.

‘The first pitch is a fastball towards the body.’

McClanahan chose a fastball toward the body from the first pitch against Ji Maeng-ho.

‘Are you okay, Shane?’

‘Just take the ball.’

The catcher expressed his disapproval at McClanahan’s confident ball selection, but McClanahan pushed for his choice,

Ta – Aak!

Ji Maeng-ho swung the bat aggressively from the first pitch.

‘Uh… ?’

McClanahan’s eyes turn to left field due to the tremendous hitting sound from the start. A hit ball that curves further to the left and moves further away from the pole.

“Foul!”

McClanahan smiled at the foul home run that slightly missed the pole and hit the second-floor outfield.

‘It hit 99 mph, but it turned into a foul home run… It’s just as I thought. Yes, it has to be like this for it to be fun.’

And the next ball I chose was a high fastball towards the body that hits a similar position to the eye.

“Ball.”

The ball was called because the guy’s bat didn’t come out, but that was intentional. Because he flinched at his own ball.

The fact that your body flinched at a high fastball means that an afterimage of the high fastball remains in your eyes. And batters who saw his high fastball were bound to miss the bat due to the falling ball.

‘Now let’s go to the falling ball. Body slider.’

Then I selected the body slider and attached it to the knee.

“Ball.”

But you can see the results.

‘Can you bear this? Write…’

I was wondering if he was holding back or not even reacting, but now was not the time to answer my questions. The important thing now is to catch him.

‘This time, an outside changeup.’

Since I’ve been competing entirely with my body, this time I decided to use a change-up with the intention of getting the guy’s bat out with a ball that curves outward.

Ta-ah!

And then a loud noise is heard again. This time, the pushed ball was flying towards the pole, and McClanahan’s eyes were focused on the batted ball.

“Foul!”

The result was a foul that once again deflected off the pole and hit the second-floor bleachers.

‘… ‘You passed this too?’

McClanahan laughed off the first foul, but when he hit a foul home run again, it felt like a shiver ran down his spine.

In McClanahan’s common sense, this made no sense.

A guy whose timing is good enough to hit a left-field foul home run on a 100 mph fastball touches a changeup? Then, there was usually an infield ground ball or missed swing. The difference in velocity between his fastball and changeup was about 10 mph, so no human could have reacted like this.

In addition, he pulled the inside fastball and pushed the outside changeup, creating a foul home run. That means reading your own thoughts perfectly… In fact, in a two-ball, one-strike situation, he was not in a position to throw a changeup, which was the deciding pitch, so he twisted it once and threw a changeup, but the guy was even reading that.

‘… Is this possible?’

The thought of having fun competing with him disappears, and I feel fear.

McClanahan knew how difficult his ball was to hit, and he was confident that he was throwing a better ball than anyone else in the major league, so he keenly felt how great what Ji Meng-ho had done.

But the good news is that two fouls created a two-ball-two-strike situation.

‘What should I throw…? ?’

But he had no idea what to throw against the guy. One thing that is certain is that he should not throw a curveball. If he throws a curveball now, the image of it going over the fence was vividly pictured in McClanahan’s mind.

McClanahan felt grateful for the only meaningful data in the power analysis data that he felt was useless and began to think about a combination to look at again.

‘The slider didn’t react here…’

He didn’t want to choose a fastball or changeup because he had experience going over the fence. So what’s left is the slider.

McClanahan took a deep breath and slowly assumed a pitching stance. And the ball was thrown from McClanahan’s hand…

‘… ‘Huh?’

But the moment Mac Clanahan threw the ball, he knew something was wrong. Although he didn’t know it, Mac Clanahan’s sudden fear prevented him from hitting the ball properly.

The ball thrown toward the corner of the body did not deflect and was shot toward the mitt,

“Jitterbug! Strike! Out!”

“Oh, fuck.”

… Ji Maeng-ho’s bat went haywire. A pleasant, lucky strikeout that led the bat to a lost pitch.

“Great! Shane!”

The catcher was delighted with the luck and delivered the ball to himself, but McClanahan could not be purely happy with the sight.

Because the timing of his bat matched the timing and trajectory of the slider he threw earlier.

What would have happened if he hadn’t thrown the throw?

‘… It must have climbed over the fence.’

I was able to know the answer without thinking too deeply.

-Now batting, number 99, Designated Hitter, Aaron Judge!

You can hear the announcer on the field introducing the next batter.

The next hitter we will face is Aaron Judge, the best hitter in the league who won the MVP the previous season and is doing well this season by hitting 8 home runs at .366.

But why? When I see the jersey, I breathe a sigh of relief.

Even though McClanahan was one of the best pitchers in the league, Judge was also the best hitter in the league, so whenever he met Judge, he was busy thinking about how to deal with him this time. While watching the typing, I was even glad to see a familiar typing.

Perfect!

“Out!”

And as I watched Judge hit his change-up at the end of a full-count game and get out with a ground ball, I once again felt how absurd the batting ability Ji Maeng-ho showed at the plate just before was an action.

‘Yes, this is normal, but that guy…’ . Phew, let’s focus for now. Because Soto came out.’

“Strike! Out!”

And the bottom of the first inning ends with Soto being caught with a slider. The result at the end of the first inning was a three-way loss…

[Strikeout, ground ball, strikeout. Shane McClanahan shows off his powerful pitching today! Show your best self today too!]

… However, McClanahan’s expression, which ended with a three-way throw, still remained unresolved.