'With' KIA's new signing → Hanwha pitchers: "Respect for powerful fastballs and good breaking balls; they were tough to face"

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers' newly signed replacement foreign hitter Adellin Rodriguez (35) hit a home run from his very first at-bat in his KBO League debut. After the game, he expressed his deep respect for the pitchers he faced for the first time.

On the 5th, KIA defeated Hanwha 12-7 in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game held at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field. With this victory, KIA now stands at 15 wins and 16 losses, needing just one more win to reach a .500 winning percentage. Meanwhile, Hanwha, now in a two-game losing streak, sits at 12 wins and 19 losses, placing 9th in the league.

KIA started Adellin as the fifth hitter and first baseman on this day. Having arrived in the country on the 2nd, he joined the team and immediately took the field as a starter, playing both offense and defense rather than serving as a designated hitter.

He proved his presence with a powerful hit starting from the first inning. In the bottom of the first, with two outs and runners on first and third, Adellin stepped up to the plate. He carefully selected the first-pitch curveball and the second and third pitches, which were sliders outside the strike zone. He then let go of a 143 km/h strike.

Then, on the fifth pitch, Adellin attacked Hanwha's starting pitcher Kang Geon-woo's slider (127 km/h) that was tightly inside the outside zone, launching a three-run home run that soared well over the center-field wall. It was a striking debut.

Prior to Adellin, there were 21 players in KBO League history who hit a home run in their very first at-bat. Adellin has now become the 22nd player to achieve this record. Among foreign players, he is the sixth. For the Tigers franchise, this is the second time a player has hit a home run in their debut at-bat (the first was Hwang Jeong-rim on September 14, 2012, in the second game against Lotte at Mudeung).

Adellin continued with a fly out to center field in the third inning, struck out in the fifth, and drew a walk in the seventh to complete a multi-hit appearance. In the eighth, he was retired on a foul fly out to the first baseman, concluding his at-bats for the day. His debut performance was 4 at-bats, 1 hit (1 home run), 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout.

After the game, Adellin said, "I am happy that our team was able to win in my first game in the KBO League. I will do my best in my assigned role to help build a winning atmosphere."

Regarding the home run in the first inning, he added, "I did not expect to hit a home run in my first at-bat. Since it was my first at-bat in the league, I approached it with the mindset of watching as many pitches as possible. The opposing pitcher threw breaking balls up to three balls, so I thought he might throw a breaking ball even in a 1-3 count. Although it was a sharp slider on the outside, I made good timing with my swing and was able to connect it for a home run. It was a happy moment for me personally, but more importantly, I was even happier because it was a home run that could give the team an early lead."

Adellin also showed respect toward the opposing pitchers. He stated, "It was great to face many Korean pitchers today. All pitchers have powerful fastballs and good breaking balls, making them tough to face. I believe that continuously adapting to new types of pitchers is my challenge."

Finally, he said, "Since it was my first game, there were many things I needed to focus on. Adapting to the ABS zone was difficult, and I had to be mindful of finishing my preparations before the pitch clock ran out. However, if I gain more experience, I think I will feel freer at the plate. When that moment comes, I believe I will be able to deliver even better performances."

Meanwhile, Adellin is a position player signed by KIA as a replacement foreign hitter for Harold Castro, who recently left the lineup due to a hamstring injury. On the 4th, KIA announced, "We have signed Adellin Rodriguez as a replacement foreign hitter for Castro. We have reached a contract with Adellin for a period of six weeks with an annual salary of $50,000."

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*This content was translated by AI.