US media talks about Li Haoyu's rookie season in the major leagues: he needs to overcome his fielding and hitting flaws

Li Haoyu. (File photo)

[Sports Center/Comprehensive Report] Tigers' Taiwanese powerhouse Li Haoyu is entering his rookie season in the major leagues this year. As the season comes to an end, authoritative US media "The Athletic" Tigers team reporter Cody Stavenhagen also wrote an article about the problems that Li Haoyu still needs to overcome, and interviewed Li Haoyu himself and Tigers head coach A.J. Hinch for their views.

Recently, in a game against the Rockies, Li Haoyu hit two long hits in the 8th inning, including a triple with 2 RBIs. Li Haoyu jumped to third base and roared with arms raised. Stavin Hagen said that Li Haoyu is full of energy, enthusiasm and a tough temperament that refuses to admit defeat, which is what makes him so attractive. Head coach Xin Qi also praised Li Haoyu's personality. It will definitely not be a problem.

As for his on-field performance, Li Haoyu was a bit raw when he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He himself admitted that he was too hasty at the time, and learning to control himself and not be too pushy helped him gradually stabilize. "From the second time I was called to the major leagues, I only focused on the current things every day. Every player always has ups and downs."

However, Stavenhagen still pointed out that Li Haoyu still has a lot of room for improvement on the field. For example, his out production value (OAA) is only -12, his arm strength is not very good, and his judgment of running and passing on the field is not stable enough; and his hitting mechanism also has obvious flaws. The most important one is that his front foot often shifts toward third base, causing the hip to open early, making it easier for him to miss the outside corner ball.

In this regard, Li Haoyu said that he has been trying to figure out this matter and why the hip opens earlier. "In the end, the answer I got is that every hitter is different, and I am this type of player." Tigers head coach Xin Qi believes that even if this is Li Haoyu's natural movement, if the movement is too large, it will easily expose weaknesses, and opponents will be more targeted in their attacks.

Xinqi said that Li Haoyu does not have to have a perfect hitting posture, and cited hitters such as Marcus Giles and Dan Uggla as examples, pointing out that they can still show long-term power and success in the major leagues by adopting an open hitting style. "Many players are like this. The key lies in how you do it, when you do it, and not to overdo it."

Stavenhagen concluded that the Tigers are currently actively letting young players play. Li Haoyu has also become an important member of the team in September. After entering the off-season, Li Haoyu has a high probability of starting the season in the major leagues tomorrow and will be positioned at least as the No. 5 infield. However, the Tigers still hope that he can grow to a higher level. Hinch praised: "His toughness and competitiveness are real, not pretended. It just comes out naturally in these important moments. He loves baseball."