Japan, which is preparing for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) with the strongest power ever, fell into happy troubles over the composition of the center batting line.
It was found that Japanese baseball fans prefer Shohei Otani (29, LA Angels) as the “strong number 2” and the fourth hitter as Munetaka Murakami (23, Yakult Swallows), the home run king of last year’s Japanese professional baseball.
On the 13th, Japanese baseball media ‘Full Count’ said, 온라인카지노 “There are high expectations for the 12 players that Japan recently announced for the 2023 WBC.” Murakami received the highest support.”
A total of 5,150 baseball fans participated in the survey conducted by ‘Full Count’ through Twitter voting. In the case of Ohtani, he surprisingly received only 16.5% support.
The 4th hitter of the 2023 WBC chosen by Japanese fans was Murakami. Murakami beat Otani and Seiya Suzuki (29, Chicago Cubs) with an overwhelming 66.8% difference.
Murakami had a career-high season last year with a batting average of 0.318, 56 home runs, and 134 RBIs with an OPS of 1.168. He became the first pure Japanese player to reach 50 home runs in a single season, and broke the record for most home runs in a single season by a Japanese player, held by Oh Sadaharu (83). Even at the young age of 23, his growth rate and potential are terrifying.
He also played a big role in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. In the final match against the United States, including a solo home run, he swung a fire bat with 5 hits, 1 home run, 3 RBIs and 6 runs in 15 at-bats during the tournament, giving Japan the gold medal.
‘Full Count’ said, “Expectations are high for slugger Murakami, who hit 56 home runs last season and became the youngest player in Japanese professional baseball history to achieve the triple crown.” I can’t stop looking forward to it,” he explained.
Fans who participated in the survey also responded, saying, “We have high expectations for Murakami’s youth and momentum.” There was also a fan who recommended Otani No. 2, Suzuki No. 3, and Murakami No. 4 lineup.
Murakami also said in a recent interview with Japanese media, “I grew up dreaming of becoming a baseball player while watching the WBC, and I have a strong desire to play as the fourth hitter.”
Meanwhile, the Korean national baseball team, led by coach Lee Kang-cheol, will play the first round of the 2023 WBC finals against Australia, Japan, Czech Republic and China at the Tokyo Dome in Japan in March. Only the top 2 out of 5 countries can advance to the 2nd round.