Hanwha’s foreign batting atrocities may be coming to an end. Replacement outfielder Nick Williams (30) has surged past the 100-at-bat mark, giving the Hanwha batting lineup a much-needed boost.
Hanwha released slugger Brian O’Grady (31) on May 31 after two stints in the minors, as he struggled mightily, batting 1-for-22 (10-for-80) with no home runs and eight RBIs for a .337 OPS in 22 games. In a twist of events that saw a number of potential replacements reach the major leagues, Hanwha confirmed the signing of Williams, who was playing in the Mexican League, on June 18.
However, Williams has struggled to find his groove in the big leagues. Through nine games, he was 1-for-24 (17-for-95) with three homers, nine RBIs and a .512 OPS, better than O’Grady, but his power production was too low. He hit his changeup well, but his weakness against fastballs was evident. His plate discipline wasn’t great either, with 30 strikeouts to just one walk.
Eventually, he was dropped from the starting lineup depending on the pitcher he was facing and had to make adjustments. My timing continued to be off because my hitting point was too far behind the plate, and I wasn’t producing power. By reducing his take-back time, he began to form his hitting point in front of him and has been on an upswing since his 100th at-bat against Doosan in Daejeon on the 11th.
During an eight-game hitting streak from that date to the 19th against KT in Daejeon, Williams surged to a .992 OPS with four doubles (14-for-35), one home run, and nine RBIs. He has hit safely in six straight games and has cut his strikeouts to one. Hit a fastball for a home run for the first time against the Changwon NC on May 15. He has been batting second in the batting order in the last five games since the NC game on the 15th, connecting with runners in scoring position in front of No. 1 home run hitter Roh Si-hwan. 먹튀검증
“It took me a long time to adjust compared to other players,” said Williams, who raised his season batting average to 23-for-31 (130 RBI) with a .644 OPS. I was stressed and worried because I wasn’t performing well, but I just tried to keep it simple and have fun with it, and I think I’ve been able to make adjustments (on take-backs) and get used to the league to a certain extent, and I think I’ve been able to do a good job,” Williams said.
He’s been in Korea for almost two months now. “I’m really happy here,” Williams said. The people at Hanwha, my teammates, and everyone I’ve met around the ballpark have been so welcoming. I’ve been very impressed with the bright, positive energy and willingness to help me. The past few months have been a great learning experience for me.”
Hanwha head coach Choi Won-ho said, “I think Williams has settled in a bit after 100 at-bats, and I think he’s settled down. He’s not a character who goes out and plays around, and I’m sure he’s had a lot of difficulties without his family. Now that they’re here, I think it’s going to get better.”
Williams’ wife, 19-month-old son, and his father-in-law arrived on Nov. 19. With his son’s name (Rory) engraved on it, the