'Once Kim Hye-sung Competitor' batting average of .40-OPS 1.294 explosion! be mentioned as an MVP candidate "Otani is worth threatening"

*This content was translated by AI.

Andy Pazs (26, LA Dodgers), once considered a big league roster competitor of Kim Hye-sung (27), was mentioned as an MVP candidate for his overwhelming performance.

The U.S. media Clutch Point said on the 5th (Korea Standard Time), "There is a Dodgers player who seems to be an MVP candidate. It's not Shohei Ohtani or Freddie Freeman," he said, shedding light on Pazs' performance.

When Kim Hye-sung signed a contract with the Dodgers last year, Pazs was introduced in domestic and foreign media as a player to compete for the last place on the big league roster.

The reason was clear. He hit 13 home runs in 116 games in 2024, his debut season, but he was not a steady hitter as shown in a batting average of 0.248 and an on-base percentage of 0.305. The defense wasn't well received either.

On the contrary, Kim Hye-sung was expected to gain a position as a utility player as he has the advantage of being able to play center field including all infield positions based on his excellent athletic ability.

The result was a landslide victory for Pazs. Pazs flew with a batting average of 0.272 (27 home runs in 581 at-bats) in 156 games, 86 RBIs and 14 steals, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.774 to get a full season.

It was in contrast to Kim Hye-sung's record of 0.280 (45 hits in 161 at-bats) with three home runs, 17 RBIs, 13 steals, and an OPS of 0.699 in 71 games as a backup throughout the season.

Farggs, who did, is attracting attention once again for his explosive hitting this season. Katie Wu, a Dodgers reporter for The Athletic, another U.S. media outlet, said on her SNS, "Pahes hit a three-run home run toward the Dodgers bullpen. I don't think we talk enough about him."

In the away game of the Washington Nationals on the 6th, he started as the fifth batter and center fielder and recorded one hit, one walk, one run and three strikeouts in four at-bats. In the meantime, the season's performance came to a batting average of 0.471 (16 hits in 34 at-bats), three homers and 10 RBIs in nine games, and a on-base percentage of 0.500 slugging percentage of 0.794, OPS of 1.294.

The clutch point is "All"Juss expected Ohtani to regain his form as MVP again in 2026. Teammate Freeman was considered the only candidate to threaten Ohtani's MVP. But there is another contender in the Dodgers. He's the digger," he stressed.

"Fahes showed his development last year. It got off to a good start again this year and is quietly emerging as a future All-Star in the Dodgers with several All-Stars. Perhaps it will be difficult for Pazs to win the MVP title over Ohtani and Freeman. But rather, it is shining among the All-Star players," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.