'Former Hanwha' Liberator faces barrage of criticism from Taiwanese media: "As a foreign investor, is it really true that you're still 0-for-0 in home runs?"

*This content was translated by AI.

Louis Liberator (31, registered name in Taiwan as Fang Liduo), who played in the KBO League wearing the Hanwha Eagles uniform during the 2025 season, is now at risk of becoming the latest victim of the brutal 'foreign investor' saga in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Although some time has passed since the season opened, the home run power expected from the foreign hitter has remained silent, pushing local media criticism to a peak.

Liberator signed a contract with the Funabashi Guardians of the CPBL for the 2026 season in February. At the time, the club also expressed high expectations by describing him in its recruitment materials as an "outfielder with both offensive and defensive capabilities".

Liberator is also familiar to Korean baseball fans. He joined Hanwha as a replacement foreign player midway through the 2025 season and delivered solid performances in 62 KBO League games, posting a .313 batting average (77 hits in 246 at-bats), 10 home runs, and 39 RBIs. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) reached 0.890, earning praise for combining precision and power. Although he failed to re-sign with Hanwha, Liberator entered the Taiwanese stage with high expectations.

However, once the season began, those expectations turned into disappointment. In 11 CPBL games this season, Liberator has recorded a .273 batting average (12 hits in 44 at-bats). While the batting average is not low, critics say it falls short of expectations. Despite facing 47 plate appearances, he has only driven in 2 runs. Although he has consistently produced hits, he has yet to hit a single home run, which is what is expected of an 'foreign hitter'.

The detailed statistics are even more disappointing. Liberator's batting average in scoring position this season stands at just 0.143, and while he has drawn 3 walks, he has struck out 6 times. He is showing the traits of a 'contact hitter' rather than the power expected of a foreign player. A defensive error during the game on the 17th also drew criticism. It was a routine fly ball to center field, but he mishandled it due to a careless play. As a result, Taiwanese media outlets including SETN and Yahoo Taiwan voiced concerns over Liberator's lack of power. In particular, SETN published an article titled "Home runs are not guaranteed just because you're a foreign hitter", referencing Liberator.

According to local reports, ahead of the game on the 18th, Liberator met with reporters and responded with "Wouldn't anyone want to hit a home run for their country", while calmly stating "I will step up when the time comes. I won't pressure myself just because home runs haven't come yet. I'll simply compete in every game and do my part".

Manager Mitsutaka Kato, originally from Japan (48), also stepped in directly to address the growing criticism. He drew a clear line by stating "We did not expect Liberator to have power-hitting abilities when we signed him".

He continued, "What we focused on was his excellent defensive skills and high on-base percentage. 'The stereotype that 'foreign hitter equals home run" must change now. "Although there was an error, Liberator's true value lies in his consistent hitting and defense. We hope no one pressures him with questions like 'When will he hit a home run'. I myself have no intention of forcing him to hit extra-base hits", he emphasized. He then decided not to include Liberator in the lineup for the 18th game, a move seen as a considerate decision.

Whether Liberator can break his silence under the manager's support and hit his first home run in Taiwan, thereby dispelling concerns about the 'foreign investor' saga, remains to be seen. Fans of the Funabashi Guardians continue to watch his bat closely.

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*This content was translated by AI.