*This content was translated by AI.
Jonathan Ferraza (28, Hanwha Eagles) returned after growing more in two years. It was an opening series that confirmed why he won the Minor League Most Valuable Player (MVP) and also noticed the Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB).
Peraza made six hits, one stolen base and scored three points in 11 at-bats in the two consecutive home games against the Kiwoom Heroes at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 28th and 29th.
The batting average reached 0.545, and the on-base percentage was 0.545, the slugging percentage was 0.636 and the on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) was 1.181, starting the season in a good mood.
Even when he wore the Hanwha uniform in 2024, he showed tremendous destructive power in the first half. Peraza, who has a playful personality and always does her best with a smile, was loved a lot. However, he hit 0.312 with 16 home runs in the first half, suffered severe ups and downs with a batting average of 0.229 with eight home runs in the second half, and had no choice but to say goodbye with regret.
After returning to the U.S. stage, Peraza dreamed again for a minor league team under the San Diego Padres. In 138 games in Triple-A, he hit hard with a batting average of 0.307 with 19 home runs and 113 RBIs and an OPS of 0.901. He won the minor league MVP award and also approached Peraza in the NPB team.
But Peraza's choice was Hanwha. He checked Peraza's performance and confirmed that he has grown further in defense, which has left anxiety. An official from Hanwha's team verified all of Peraza's defense scenes thoroughly enough. However, as the contract period became longer than expected, Peraza even bullied a Hanwha official (?) about when the contract would be signed. He could have stayed on the Japanese stage or stayed in the U.S. and sought an opportunity to challenge the major leagues, but for him, going to Hanwha was the No. 1 priority.
Since the exhibition game, he has flown 10 games with a batting average of 0.375 (9 hits in 24 at-bats), two home runs, five RBIs and five runs, an on-base percentage of 0.464, a slugging percentage of 0.667, and an OPS of 1.131, starting as the second batter in the opening game, creating a huge synergy effect with Oh Jae-won in front and Moon Hyun-bin in the back.
All three had three hits, especially Peraza and Moon Hyun-bin, who continued to hit like bullets, showing off their hot hitting. After getting on base with a heavy hit from the first inning, Peraza, who took third base on Moon Hyun-bin's double, scored the first run with an opponent's wild pitch.
In the third inning, he hit a right-handed hit and sent Oh Jae-won to third base. Oh Jae-won scored when Moon Hyun-bin grounded out to the infield. In the seventh inning, he also hit in front of right field with two outs and a runner on first base, and after that, Shim Woo-joon dug home during Moon Hyun-bin's single hit, which became the foundation.
Coach Kim Kyung-moon also met with reporters before the game on the 29th and said, "I haven't seen enough of Peraza since I first joined the team. Before I came, I was injured while doing well, and after that, I had a lot of regrets in defense and records, he said. "But if you practice more defense and wait with faith, hitting is a quality player and a batter who hits with a switch, there is no blocking even if the pitcher changes." So I talked to the club and saw the performance, and then I brought him in," he said.
In the second game, the batting feeling didn't go away easily. Peraza, who hit Ha Young-min's tricky outer fork ball in the second inning and hit a double to the left, took the lead in the sixth inning and swung his bat from the first pitch to hit the right fence. The ball stretched so fast that it couldn't even get to second base because it popped out. After that, he managed to steal second base. It was a timing that the opponent did not easily expect. With Moon Hyun-bin's walk and Roh Si-hwan's infield hit, Peraza, who made it to third base, dug home when Kang Baek-ho grounded out to shortstop.
In two games, he swung a huge fire bat, and his team won 10-9 and 10-4 in a row. Hanwha fans also welcomed Peraza's return with enthusiastic cheers.
It was a moment that Peraza desperately dreamed of. Peraza said in a YouTube video of the club, "First of all, I think the biggest thing was to stay healthy. I think the results of the hard work I have made through spring camps in Australia and Japan are coming out," he said.
On the previous day, he was the team's first batter to make hits, runs, and steals. Peraza said, "Of course, I can't say I'm too happy and not happy, but I keep telling youThe goal is to work with better hitters behind Shippy and score a lot in the end. I want to focus more on that," he said.
Peja's attitude, which has always been playful, has changed a lot from two years ago. "I thought there was a lack of seriousness in 2024. This year, I'm trying to be a serious person when I'm serious by distinguishing between time and place, he said. "I've really matured a lot, and everyone will have a moment to mature, but now it's time to do that because I'm an adult."
He stood out not only in hitting but also in base running. "I've prepared a lot with additional training with coaches since the camp," Peraza said. "I'll not only do well now, but I'll do my best to play the same throughout this season."
He hoped to return to Hanwha more than the club wanted him. He played in a packed audience for two consecutive games and rewarded it with a hard hit. Fans chanted Ferraza and showed their affection. "For me, Hanwha Eagles fans are the best and I'm always so touched," Ferraza said. "Thank you for your passionate support when I was back and when I came back. Thank you so much for loving me, and I also care about and like the fans so much, so I hope you continue to come to the stadium and enjoy the victory toward the championship," he said.
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*This content was translated by AI.
