Is he finally returning to the ‘hot man’ we knew?
Kia Tigers foreign-born slugger Socrates Brito is heating up. He’s batting 3-for-7 in his last 10 games. His overall season numbers (2-for-7, 11 home runs, 38 RBIs, .307 on-base percentage, .461 slugging percentage) are still below expectations, but it’s a far cry from his mid-May slump.
There was a trigger.
On May 30, Socrates went 5-for-5 with a home run against the Changwon NC. It was his most hits in a single game since joining the KBO. He then returned to Gwangju and hit for the cycle in a three-game weekend series against KT. While it’s disappointing that less than half of his nine hits in four games were long balls, with three (two doubles, one home run), it’s noteworthy that he was able to keep his hitting streak going.
It’s significant that he shook off an extreme slump.
After a 16-game hitting streak from late April to mid-May, 안전놀이터 Socrates’ pace dropped dramatically. He was even dropped from the starting lineup on May 19 against Changwon NC.
A noticeable drop in his batting average is the cause of his slump.
He has consistently maintained a batting average in the mid-thirties for the past two years, but this year, he is struggling to maintain it. His lineup is also a problem. He has drawn 11 walks in 244 at-bats, while striking out 38 times.
“Opposing pitchers are aware of Socrates’ weaknesses to a certain extent,” Kia manager Lee Beom-ho said, “and they often reach for bad pitches because they don’t get results.” However, “He tends to be a slow starter. I think he prepares himself a lot. Once he starts hitting, his pace will pick up quickly,” he said.
Lately, Socrates has been finding the hit zone and producing results. His walk rate is still low, but he’s getting more hits than strikeouts, which is a positive.
Socrates has been strong in the heat the past two years. In his rookie year in 2022, he hit .344 in the month of June, and last year he hit a career-high five home runs in the month of June. There’s reason to be excited about the pace he’s picked up in June.
“I’ve been a little impatient at the plate lately, but I’m trying to make sure I’m hitting the ball in the zone,” Socrates said. I feel like I’m hitting the ball better than before,” Socrates said. “I don’t have any other explanation, 온라인 슬롯 I just think that the team can do well this season, and every player is playing every game,” he said. It will be interesting to see if Tess’s ‘six-for-six’ will come true.