Healthy Bae getting comfortable in center field

BRADENTON, Fla. – When Detroit’s Bligh Madris barreled the ball, Ji Hwan Bae didn’t realize that the deep fly would require him to chase it so far into center field that he ended up against the wall.

Bae used his elite sprint speed to track and catch it, surprising even himself with how easy he made it look.

“The ball was going further than I thought,” Bae said through translator Daniel Park. “As long as I can catch a ball that most people can’t, it makes me feel good.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton called it a “good running catch” and complimented Bae for staying under control. Shelton also credited Bae for how well he played Colt Keith’s double off the wall in the third inning, a sign of success in Bae’s conversion from middle infielder.

“It looks like he’s really starting to get more comfortable in the outfield,” Shelton said.

While Bae still feels “a little bit awkward” in the corner outfield spots, he’s running full speed into his new position in center field this spring for the Pittsburgh Pirates – and hoping to leave last season far behind.

The 25-year-old Bae suffered one injury setback after another last year. A left hip muscle strain in spring training forced him to start the season on the injured list. He was recalled from Triple-A in late May, only to bat .208 and return to the IL with a right wrist sprain in early June.

“The greatest thing for me now is I have no pain. It doesn’t affect me when I hit or run in games,” Bae said. “The initial injury started with the hitting, but after I got the injury, it started hurting more when I was running during games.”

Bae was worried that he spoke too soon, as he jammed the ring finger on his left hand when he was picked off sliding into third base against the Tigers in a Grapefruit League game Sunday at LECOM Park.

In the bottom of the third inning, Bae grounded into a fielder’s choice that forced Isiah Kiner-Falefa out at second base. Bae advanced to second on Tommy Pham’s groundout but took one too many strides in his lead and Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler threw to shortstop Trey Sweeney to catch Bae in no-man’s land.

“That was my mistake. It shouldn’t have happened during the game. Luckily, it happened during spring training,” Bae said. “I think the catcher saw me take a step ahead and instantly shot it to second base. I don’t know if that was discussed between them before the game or if it was instinct, but that shouldn’t have happened.”

The 5-11, 185-pound Bae, whose sprint speed of 29 feet per second ranks in the 91st percentile per Statcast, knows that his speed is what separates him from other candidates for the fourth outfielder spot. Not only does it allow him to chase down deep fly balls but allows him to be a difference maker on the basepaths.

“There are players who aren’t as fast as me,” Bae said. “Sometimes, as a player who has a lot of speed, I can utilize that to change the game. More importantly, I want to know the right time to use my speed — not just how many steals I can get.”

What Shelton is more interested in how Bae fares with a bat in his hand. Bae hit .342/.433/.504 with 11 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 41 RBIs in 66 games at Triple-A Indianapolis, but he struggled in his 29 games with the Pirates. Bae batted .189 (14 for 74), with 24 strikeouts and six walks.

The Pirates’ starting outfield appears set, with Tommy Pham in left field, Oneil Cruz in center and Bryan Reynolds in right. That leaves Bae competing for the fourth outfield spot with the likes of Billy Cook, Joshua Palacios, DJ Stewart, Nick Solak and Jack Suwinski.

“The big thing for Ji is to grow offensively,” Shelton said. “We’ve seen him perform in Triple-A. It has not translated as consistently at the major league level. The work that he did this winter, we’re hoping it will kind of translate into putting him into competition for one of those last spots.”

Bae spent the offseason working to improve his performance at the plate. Where he used to lean his body toward the pitcher and first base, he’s trying a more straightened stance this spring. And Shelton was impressed with his approach in a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay on Friday, when Bae fouled off six pitches in an 11-pitch at-bat before hitting a full-count slider to left field for a single in the bottom of the sixth.

“He did a really good job this winter with his swing. He worked really hard on it,” Shelton said. “He probably had one of, if not the best at-bat of the day, with the fact that he fouled off a number of pitches. When you play the Rays, you’re going to see 95 to 100 from every single guy, and the at-bat that Ji had was really good.”

Bae also is working to reduce the tension in his body, admitting that he put too much pressure on himself while with the Pirates and that it affected his play. He came to this camp confident and loose.

“The reason why my performance wasn’t as good in Pittsburgh last year as it was in Indy was mostly because of the pressure,” Bae said. “When I was in the big leagues, there was a lot of pressure. My body gets tense. I felt like that made me slow down. If I gain confidence and play like I do in Indy, I should be OK.”