A massive hit! Even the reporter covering Colorado in the U.S. weighed in: "Hilliard led KT to the championship → He looks like an MVP candidate"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Even the dedicated reporter for his former team could not help but marvel at the monstrous power of the slugger who devastated the Korean stage after crossing over from Pyongyang. This is the story of KT Wiz outfielder Sam Hilliard (32), a former member of the Colorado Rockies.

Reporter Patrick Lyons, a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) who primarily covers the Colorado Rockies for outlets such as "Just Baseball" and "Rockies Insider," took a close look at Hilliard's performance sheet, which has bombarded the KBO League this season, on his social media on the 20th (Korean time).

Reporter Lyons could not hide his amazement, stating, "Sam Hilliard led his team, the KT Wiz, to first place in the regular season with a .304 batting average, 44 home runs, and 139 RBIs this season in Korea."

He continued, "Hilliard, a strong regular season MVP candidate, became the first foreign hitter in history to break through the '40 home run-120 RBI' mark in his KBO League debut season," giving him a thumbs up. As Lyons mentioned, Eric Thames previously hit 47 home runs and drove in 140 RBIs while playing for the NC Dinos, but that was during the 2015 season, which was his second year in the KBO League. Thames' stats in his Korean debut season, 2014, were 37 home runs and 121 RBIs.

Hilliard spent the majority of his U.S. career with Colorado. He played for Colorado from the 2019 season through the 2022 season, went through the Atlanta Braves in the 2023 season, and then wore the Colorado uniform again from the 2024 season to the 2025 season. He had been noted for his exceptional physical attributes and explosive exit velocity since his minor league days, but he failed to establish himself as a definitive Major Leaguer due to extreme whiffs and inconsistent plate discipline. Despite using Coors Field, a hitter-friendly park, as his home, he boarded a flight to Korea ahead of the 2026 season without fully unleashing his potential.

However, he wrote a perfect reversal drama on the KBO League stage. He improved his ability to handle pitches in the strike zone to complete a .300 batting average, and dominated the league's pitching staff by drawing 44 arcs with his unique monstrous power. Hilliard, who set a new record for a debut season '40 home run-120 RBI' that even past top foreign slingers like Thames and Mel Rojas Jr. had not achieved, led KT to the regular season championship from the front line.

Having finished the regular season brilliantly, Hilliard is now calmly preparing for the Korea Series stage while aiming squarely at a team title sweep.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original