"The reason I practice..." There are no immature Ferraris; there is emotion in the baseball of Bok-deong, the league's top run-scorer

*This content was translated by AI.

He showed an incredible presence when the team needed him most. Yonatan Peraza (28), who has changed dramatically from two years ago, saved the Hanwha Eagles.

On the 28th, Peraza started as the leadoff right fielder in the home game against the SSG Landers at Daejeon Hanwha Life Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. He went 5-for-2 with two hits, one walk, one stolen base, one RBI, and one run, playing a pivotal role in leading the team to a 7-6 walk-off victory in extra innings.

Peraza, who made a strong impact wearing the Hanwha uniform in 2024, injected vitality into the team with his unique bright energy. However, he experienced ups and downs in the second half, and sometimes his excessive passion led to negative results.

Peraza, who has grown in skill to the point of winning MVP in the minor leagues, has donned the Hanwha uniform again after two years. He cited "maturity" as the most significant change, emphasizing that he has become more mature in his approach to baseball and in his daily conduct.

It was no empty talk. In today's game, Peraza's passionate yet team-first mature attitude produced a synergistic effect.

With the team trailing 0-1, Peraza stepped up to the plate with one out in the bottom of the 4th inning. He hit a well-placed bloop single that dropped between the infielders and outfielders, then ran to first base and advanced to second. Although it looked like an overreach, he slid in a way that narrowly avoided the tag, and after video review, the out call was overturned to a safe call. Later, when Moon Hyun-bin hit a single, Peraza touched third base. When Noh Si-hwan hit a fly ball to center field, Peraza scored the tying run.

Even in the bottom of the 9th inning with the team trailing 4-5, Peraza appeared with no outs and a runner on first. He refrained from being greedy and calmly drew a walk, setting the table for the team. Hanwha took advantage of a wild pitch by Jo Byeong-hyun with two outs and bases loaded, thanks to a walk by Kang Baek-ho, and pushed the game into extra innings.

In the bottom of the 10th inning, with the team trailing by one run, Peraza got his chance with two outs and runners on first and second. He attacked Park Si-hoo's low slider and hit a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing in the runner from second base. This moved the SSG bench, and eventually, the pitcher was changed to Lee Ki-soon. However, Hanwha drew consecutive walks and ultimately secured a thrilling 7-6 comeback victory.

He has returned to form and is performing at his best. In 25 games, he is batting .371 (36 hits in 97 at-bats) with four home runs, five stolen bases (one failed), 18 RBIs, and 26 runs scored. His on-base percentage is .466, slugging percentage is .588, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) is 1.054. His batting average with runners in scoring position is .389 (7 hits in 18 at-bats). He leads the league in runs scored, ranks third in batting average and total hits, and is fourth in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Most importantly, his mature attitude of putting the team first is even more welcome. After the game, Peraza said, "I am happy that many fans always come to the stadium, and I feel good that I could contribute to the team's victory."

He continued, "In the later innings and extra innings, whenever I get a chance, I go to the on-deck circle with the mindset that I must hit to win, and it led to a good result, so I am happy. The reason I practice is to make sure I can do what I can in those chances. So, instead of being nervous, I enjoyed the situation and had confidence, which is why I think it led to the tying hit."

Finally, Peraza added, "I will continue to work hard to bring more victories to our team alongside my teammates. I ask for your continued support for the Hanwha Eagles."

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*This content was translated by AI.