José Miguel Fernández is having a dream campaign in the KBO this season.
In yesterday’s KBO game against his countrymen Odrisamer Despaigne and the KT Wiz, he connected for two hits in five at-bats, including a home run. He also managed to drive in four runs during the game.
Fernández leads Korea in hitting with a .465 average and in runs batted in with 27. Not only is he slashing .400/.606/1.006 and is hitting .424 with RISP.
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Doosan, who is the defending KBO champions defeated the KT Wiz 11-8 in a duel between the two Cubans.
Although Fernández had a great day, Havana native Odrisamer Despaigne had his worst day this season and possibly the worst outing of his career.
Despaigne was touched for 10 runs on 15 hits in five innings pitched. Before yesterday’s outing, the righty was dominant in his prior stints on the mound and saw his ERA jump from 1.26 to 3.89.
Despaigne took his first loss of the season and the longball that Fernández hit was only the second one he has given up during the campaign. Hitters in the KBO are now hitting .270 against the hurler this season.
When I contacted Despaigne to know why his manager left him in so long he responded, ” Although I wasn’t having my best outing I didn’t want to come out the game. I wanted to at least pitch five innings and not leave the bullpen with such a big burden.”
On the other hand, Fernández is a sure-fire candidate for the league’s most valuable player, especially if he continues on this torrid pace.
Last year Fernández set the record for hits by a foreign player with 197 and fell four short of the Korean league record.
This year his assault on the record has him swatting 46 in his first 24 and has him on pace to shatter the mark.
There’s a very big possibility that Fernández could slug himself into a big-league contract or at least an invite to a major league camp next season if he continues at this pace.