'With' Yang Ui-ji is Yang Ui-ji! 'Off-pace' slump → Batting average 0.236, sharp rise "Strived to find a breakthrough"

*This content was translated by AI.

Yang Ui-ji (39, Doosan Bears), known as the 'Queen of the Home Plate', broke through a severe early-season slump and finally proved the 'dignity of a Veteran', firing the first shot of a comeback. At the beginning of April, he even carried the disgrace of being an 'off-pace hitter', but he now appears to be returning to his true self.

On the 3rd, Yang Ui-ji started as the designated hitter batting fourth in an away game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, in the '2026 Shinhan SOL Bank' KBO League. He went 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs and 1 run, swinging the bat powerfully to lead his team to a 14-3 decisive victory.

Thanks to his performance that day, Yang Ui-ji's season batting average rose slightly to 0.236 (25 hits in 106 at-bats). While the number itself still falls short of his reputation, considering he struggled with a batting average in the mid-.100s during early to mid-April, he has clearly drawn a distinct upward curve.

In the bottom of the third inning with two outs and a runner on second, Yang Ui-ji attacked the first pitch fastball from opposing starter Park Jun-hyun, hitting a clean two-run single to the right field to take the lead. Later, in the bottom of the sixth with one out and a runner on third, he again hit the first pitch from the reliever Kim Sung-jin, producing another RBI single and showcasing his signature clutch ability.

In fact, Yang Ui-ji's early-season slump was no ordinary struggle. He did not record his first multi-hit game of the season until the April 17 home game against the KIA Tigers, showing difficulty in regaining his hitting touch. However, in 15 games played since the 17th, he recorded multi-hit games in five contests, gradually warming up his bat. Notably, he produced consecutive multi-hit games against Kiwoom.

Kim Won-hyeong (54), Doosan's manager, revealed his steadfast trust in Yang Ui-ji. Ahead of the game on the 3rd, Manager Kim explained the recent hitting rebound process: "He was too off-pace at the beginning, and the numbers shown were not very good either. But he gradually adjusted to his own timing, resulting in better hits and more contact."

He continued, "I thought he was entering a phase of improvement. I watched him with the belief that Yang Ui-ji would rise once enough time passed," emphasizing that he never doubted the Veteran's potential.

As Yang Ui-ji stabilized the heart of the lineup, the Doosan offense regained its explosive power. Starting with the home series against KIA on April 17, Doosan achieved winning series in every series except the home three-game series against LG, including three-game series at Sajik against Lotte, three-game series at Jamsil against Samsung, and the recent Gocheok Kiwoom game, riding a steep upward trend.

After the game, Yang Ui-ji expressed relief, saying, "I'm glad I could contribute a little to the team achieving two consecutive winning series." He further explained the process of escaping the slump: "When results were not good, we worked hard with the hitting coaches to find a breakthrough, and recently, as better hits have started to come out, I feel like I'm regaining my touch."

Announcing a pleasant start for May, Yang Ui-ji added, "I will just focus on continuing this momentum," concluding with a sense of responsibility befitting a Veteran.

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*This content was translated by AI.