Will Mel Rojas Jr. (former KT Wiz) be able to fulfill his long-cherished wish?
Lohas, the “MVP foreigner” who led KT’s first win in 2020, dreams of a rebound at the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC).
The Dominican Republic is in a crisis ahead of the WBC due to massive banning requests from major league teams. To the extent that there is a backlash against the ‘American conspiracy’. According to WBC rules, players with injury issues may request a ban from the team. Choi Ji-man (Pittsburgh Pirates), whose participation in the national team for the first time in his life was canceled, is a case in point.
Conversely, it could be an opportunity for LOHAS. Rojas started as the fifth hitter and right fielder in the evaluation match between the Dominican Republic and the Venezuela national team held on the 6th (Korean time).
Rojas was sluggish without a hit, and Venezuela won the game with Jose Rondon’s final hit after a bloody battle that went into the 12th inning. 바카라
Four years in the KBO League, that’s all the shining days of Rojas’ career. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010, but never made it to the major leagues. He also competed for the Dominican Republic in the 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC), but remained as a backup throughout the tournament.
But going to Korea in 2017 changed everything. It was a life in the KBO league that started as a substitute foreigner with a total of $400,000. For four years, he showed off his skills on a different level with a career batting average of 302 1, 132 homers, 409 RBIs, 632 hits, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.981. He also showed off his steel-like stamina, digesting every season with full strength.
In particular, in 2020, he won 4 batting crowns (home run, RBI, slugging percentage) and even won the season MVP, making his name among the best foreign players of all time. He was also the first switch-hitter home run king in Korean baseball history. It was a year of glory for KT, winning the Rookie of the Year award, MVP, and championships.
However, after transferring to the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese professional baseball team, he became a ‘exploiter’. After 2 years of sluggish performance, KT’s comeback knock was also canceled.
Rojas improved his condition while playing in the Dominican Republic’s Winter League Tigres del Lissey. As a result, he succeeded in boarding the Dominican Republic national team with many empty seats. Will Rojas’ dream come true?