Is that the foreign hitter who failed three years ago? I became a completely different person. The story of Edison Russell.
Kiwoom Heroes Russell played as a substitute in 2020. He was expected to have a major league career, but his batting performance was not. He was considered top-notch for shortstop defense, but his batting average was 2.5 4 (62 hits in 244 at-bats). 2 home runs and 31 RBIs. He had a slugging percentage of 0.336, so even though he is not a big hitter, he basically has a role that the team expects from a foreign hitter, but he failed to meet that expectation.
Afterwards, the contract renewal failed, but after 3 years, Kiwoom recruited Russell again. Kiwoom, which even finished runner-up in the Korean Series with Yasiel Puig last year, signed with Russell in a situation where it was not certain to renew the contract due to Puig’s lawsuit. Russell, who wore the Kiwoom uniform again after 3 seasons, re-entered the KBO League with a ‘bulk-up’ by growing his physique even more than before.
His all season was also dubious until the exhibition game, but when it comes to the opening, Russell is definitely doing his share in his hitting. The match against KT Wiz held at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 26th was actually Russell’s ‘one-man show’. Russell, who started as the 4th hitter and shortstop, flew with 3 hits (1 home run) and 6 RBIs in 5 at-bats. He hit a two-run home run in the first inning, followed by two RBIs and a timely hit that completely brought victory. In the bottom of the 7th inning, he completed the game with 6 RBIs by adding a timely hit that put a key to victory. It was Russell who made the score at the most important moment.
With his performance on the day, Russell raised his batting average for the season to nearly .36. Compared to the 2020 season, his 3rd consecutive game, not only the batting average but also the slugging percentage and on-base percentage jumped. Compared to three years ago, when Kiwoom suffered the aftermath of the Corona 19 pendemic during the season, Kiwoom sees it as positive to adapt together from spring camp this season. But in addition to that, Russell himself has finished his analysis of the KBO league and is showing a further evolution in his hitting as a result.크크크벳
Last year, Puig played the role of a central hitter who felt intimidated that he could hit a long hit at any time and hit a ‘big one’ when it was actually important. However, as his strikeouts were high and his batting average was in the mid-20s, his sophistication was inevitably declining.
However, if Russell continues to do what he is doing now, he can continue to be active like ‘Sophisticated Puig’. Along with his ability to produce various batted balls with his contact ability at the forefront, his appearance as a clutch hitter stands out. In a situation where Lee Jung-hoo is still struggling with a batting average in the low 20% range this season, Russell, the hitter right behind him, is steadily solving the problem, and Lee Jung-hoo’s burden is relatively reduced.