The count of 2 balls and 2 strikes placed him in an unfavorable situation as a batter. After a series of fastballs, the opposing team was likely to change their pitching strategy; hence the next decisive pitch could very well be a breaking ball, which would be his opportunity.
From behind the catcher's mask, Shima Keihiro flashed a subtle smile and made a special gesture towards Lin Guanglai on the pitcher's mound; Lin Guanglai understood instantly, and after a brief adjustnt, he pitched the baseball.
The baseball shot out from between Lin Guanglai's index and middle fingers, heading towards ho plate at an average speed; in the batter's box, Harper couldn't imdiately discern the type of pitch from its trajectory, so he decided to watch for a bit longer, confident in his batting skills.
Once the baseball neared ho plate and started to dip due to the loss of Magnetic Force, Harper's face, fitting the Arican aesthetic, broke into a satisfied smile. This forkball was controlled well, and its speed was deceiving, but I've completely figured it out!
His body, already prid, exploded into action. The bat swiftly swung, driven by his lower body, waist, and abdon, aiming directly at the baseball approaching ho plate.
Just as Harper confidently thought he would strike the baseball solidly and send it flying to the outfield or even the stands, he suddenly realized he might miss the ball as it got closer to the bat. The descent of the ball was far greater than he had anticipated!
His previously relaxed body tensed imdiately. In the batter's box, Harper tried to use his strong core strength to alter his swing trajectory and foul the ball, but his efforts at this point were already futile.
Shima Keihiro in the catcher's seat swiftly flipped his mitt and positioned it between his legs, managing to catch the ball before it hit the ground.
"Strikeout!"
At this critical mont, Lin Guanglai's signature, formidable forkball demonstrated its prowess: facing such an exceedingly fast and sharply dipping ball for the first ti, even a Major League level batter couldn't react in ti!
Almost simultaneously with the umpire's call, the 30,000 fans in the stands of Ow Mountain Wild Field erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause; the ho fans tried to cheer on their hero in this manner. anwhile, scouts from various teams, who ca to witness Lin Guanglai's performance at this plate appearance, elevated their evaluations of him further.
"Average speed of 98-102 mph, precise control, and such an explosively lethal magical pitch…" In the VIP box, Joe Girardi watched Lin Guanglai on the field with eyes shining, "The longevity unique to Japanese pitchers, coupled with such excellent pitching quality and not even 20 years old… I must say, Brandon, your eye is quite discerning, this outstanding player certainly would make anyone go wild!"
"Let's observe more. It's only the first plate appearance, and the batter hasn't truly gotten familiar with the pitcher yet; moreover, Harper is exceptional, but his potential hasn't fully been unleashed yet—let's see how Lin Guanglai fares against Altuve and Pujols…"
As the Yankees' general manager, Cashman was initially dazzled by Lin Guanglai but had far more aspects to consider than head coach Girardi, hence his evaluation criteria were more stringent.
After striking out Bryce Harper, the lead batter, Lin Guanglai faced his second opponent: Venezuelan Jose Altuve, the Astros' main second baseman and last season's Arican League hits leader—In the 2014 season, he had a batting average of .341, 225 hits, and an OPS as high as .830.
Despite being only 167 cm tall, Altuve's batting skills were exceptionally good, and paired with his fast legs, that seed to give him wings, he was definitely a nightmare for defensive players.
Most importantly, Altuve's height of 167 cm gave him a potential advantage against taller pitchers like Lin Guanglai: it is well known that strike zones' size and height vary based on the batter's height and stance, and small-statured batters like Altuve naturally have a very narrow vertical strike zone.
This forces pitchers to place the ball in a very precise vertical spot, and any slight error in control could result in a ball; and any pitch targeting Altuve's lower strike zone could be hit as a strong line drive or ground hit—which might subdue pitchers with less-precise control.
But Lin Guanglai was evidently not such a person; his control skill allows him to handle opponents with ease.
High-angle four-seam fastballs were his greatest asset, and also Altuve's greatest nesis: from Altuve's perspective, Lin Guanglai's high fastballs enter the strike zone's upper part at a steep angle, forcing Altuve to scoop the ball from bottom to top if he wanted to hit it, an action difficult to execute with force.
"Swish" "Swish" "Swish"—three quick arm swings, three fiery fastballs, initially intending to rally against Lin Guanglai a bit longer, Altuve soon found himself struck out—each pitch was precisely placed at the upper edge of the strike zone, leaving Altuve often with the will but no ability to counter.
"Puta Madre!" Altuve cursed under his breath upon realizing he was struck out, glancing at Lin Guanglai on the pitcher's mound, shaking his head as he returned to the dugout on the third base side.
anwhile, a towering, imposing figure warming up in the on-deck circle was making his way towards ho plate, with a bat in hand and a cold stare fixed on Lin Guanglai.
This legendary hitter was just standing there, and Lin Guanglai could feel the tidal pressure engulfing him, the powerful aura of a Hall of Fa-caliber player.
Exceptional pitch selection ability, outstanding control of the bat head, characterized by consistently high walk rates and low strikeout rates… Albert Pujols had long established his place as one of the historical ceilings of hitters through his extraordinary career.
During the 11 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, with a batting average of .331, an on-base percentage of .426, and a slugging percentage of .624, 445 ho runs, and with as many as 8 seasons with an OPS over 1, never below .906, he was a nightmare for every pitcher; even transitioning to the Angels, facing significant decline due to age and injuries, he still contributed power exceeding 30 ho runs when healthy.
Furthermore, defensively, he remains one of the Major League's top first basen, currently holding the single-season assist record in Major League.
To summarize succinctly, Pujols was among the best players in baseball history, and any pitcher capable of beating him in a direct matchup undoubtedly possesses the ability to firmly establish themselves in the Major League.
And now, this top-level hitter was standing before Lin Guanglai.
In Lin Guanglai's mind, the following plate appearance felt like a trial, with Pujols being the final guardian blocking his path to the world stage; defeating him in this duel would pave the way for his unlimited future!
Across the grandstand, scouts from multiple Major League teams sat up and paid rapt attention to every move of the pitcher and batter; in the VIP box, Cashman and Girardi were also silent, watching the field with stern expressions.
A premier Japanese pitcher facing off against a historical peak hitter, a battle, just about to erupt!
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