Noh Si-hwan, 24, a fourth baseman for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korean Baseball Organization, has a special eye for foreign hitters. Since joining the professional ranks in 2019, Noh has played with a number of foreign hitters and has been recognized by the team for his ability to quickly recognize those who are likely to succeed and those who are not.
After Hanwha signed a new foreign hitter, Jonathan Peraza, 26, at the end of last season, Noh watched his video and predicted his success early on. Last winter, Noh said, “I think Peraza will do well. He has a very fast bat speed. His swing is short and he has a lot of speed until the moment of contact. When he hits the ball, he makes a strong impact. He has a good ball stance.”
Even though he had only seen Peraza on video, Noh had a very strong impression of him. After seeing him in person since spring training, he was convinced, and he saw the potential in the exhibition games.
In 10 games, Peraza hit .379 with a .520 OBP and .899 OPS in 25 at-bats with two home runs, seven RBIs, four walks, and two strikeouts for a .379 slugging percentage. It’s an exhibition game, and it’s a small sample size, but as Noh said, he produced strong bat speed with lightning speed.
Most notably, he hit a three-run home run in the third inning against KT in Daejeon on April 15 against Ko Young-pyo. He targeted the changeup, the main weapon of sidearm Ko Young-pyo, one of the best homegrown starting pitchers in the KBO. The pitch was low and outside, but Peraza, who had the bases loaded, took a thunderous full swing. The ball traveled 130 meters for a three-run home run to center field.
At the Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Media Day & Fanfest 2024, held at Lotte Hotel Seoul Sogongong on Nov. 22, Noh was asked about his peraza. He smiled sheepishly when asked about the ‘snow flurries’ he had already seen, and said, “Peraza is very stable to hit. He has a good 바카라사이트 vision of the ball, and I think he can hit it really well.” He said that he expects him to perform well in the regular season.
When asked to name any foreign hitters from other teams, Noh said, “Lotte’s Victor Reyes (30) looks good, but not Peraza,” and after a laugh, Noh singled out Reyes as a player to watch, saying, “I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
The Venezuelan switch-hitting outfielder played five major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers from 2018-2022. In eight exhibition games, Reyes has adjusted his bat, hitting .435 with a .450 on-base percentage, .885 slugging percentage, and .435 OPS with three walks and three strikeouts in 20 at-bats. He made a strong impression against the Sajik Hanwha on April 17, hitting two hits against Ryu Hyun-jin.