The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 12

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 12
John stared at me in stunned silence for a long moment, his mind struggling to process what he’d witnessed.
“What… what on earth is happening?”
Mark nodded in agreement.
He shared John’s bewilderment.
My swing today was unmistakably different from yesterday’s.
This was undeniably John’s swing.
“You’ve become a completely different person. The power radiating from that contact is extraordinary.”
John concurred with Mark’s assessment.
“And with that swing, your batting eye shouldn’t have deteriorated at all.”
The astonishment was fleeting.
John immediately pulled me toward the Analysis Room in the Rehabilitation Academy, equipped with cutting-edge technology.
There, he displayed my swing data from yesterday and the swing I’d just executed side by side on the screen.
“This is your swing data from yesterday and today.”
The left side of the screen showed an inefficient and unstable trajectory.
Low exit velocity and erratic launch angles.
It was a stark visualization of the harsh reality—that surviving in professional baseball would be nearly impossible with such mechanics.
“And the right side is today’s.”
My swing graph on the right side of the screen displayed an entirely different picture.
The mechanics were nearly flawless: ground reaction force generated from my lower body, power concentrated through my core, then seamlessly transferred through my arms and wrists.
Exit velocity had improved dramatically.
Launch angle and trajectory were consistent and efficient.
“Even in an indoor facility, based on this data, your exit velocity would exceed 160 kilometers per hour—roughly 99 miles per hour. With this level of power, you’d be looking at a minimum distance of 426 feet, or about 130 meters, in an outdoor setting.”
And if the ball traveled 130 meters…
It would clear the outfield fence of virtually any ballpark in the United States.
In that moment, when the subtle changes I’d felt in my body were proven through hard numbers, I truly grasped their magnitude.
“Coach, thank you so much! You’re truly remarkable.”
I meant every word.
Because John had said that with this swing, I could become an entirely different player.
Of course, in actual games, numerous factors—the pitcher’s velocity, wind direction, and more—would interfere with my hitting distance.
But with mechanics like these, I could certainly produce the kind of contact that would satisfy the Dodgers.
“Aw, come on.”
John was embarrassed by my praise, yet…
Even he could scarcely believe what his own eyes were witnessing.
‘No. Does this even make sense?’
Of course, John had believed I could transform with his swing mechanics.
So he wasn’t shocked that I was performing well with this new swing.
Rather, John was astounded by my overwhelming natural talent.
‘There are plenty of geniuses in this world.’
Just look at the Major League alone.
It was incredibly common for promising talents to dominate the Major League the moment they stepped onto its grandest stage.
John himself had once been called a genius.
But the genius within Soo-ho operated on an entirely different wavelength.
While other geniuses showed differences in their speed of understanding and absorption, Soo-ho possessed an incomprehensible absorption capacity—imprinting knowledge into his body without even understanding it.
It was an absurd phenomenon that overturned decades of accumulated baseball knowledge and experience.
‘And he’s achieving this without even understanding it….’
What would happen later when Soo-ho finally grasped and internalized the mechanics suited to him?
‘Good grief.’
John shook his head in disbelief.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine how high Soo-ho might ultimately rise.
‘Frank took notice of him, didn’t he.’
Soo-ho was undoubtedly talent of that caliber.
But! John hastily tempered his excitement.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself just yet. This swing hasn’t fully melded into your body—it’s merely imprinted. So we need to keep repeating it during the remaining time.”
Besides, this was a Rehabilitation Academy where one could feel no pressure whatsoever.
The actual test would undoubtedly be far more nerve-wracking in comparison.
Therefore, even if there was noticeable improvement today, complacency was forbidden.
“Yes. I’ll do my absolute best to master it perfectly!”
John was startled.
“W-w-wait, don’t push yourself to your absolute best… just work hard.”
Soo-ho’s absolute best operated on an entirely different level than John’s.
‘W-won’t that literally kill the guy?’
He was genuinely worried Soo-ho might injure himself before such an important event.
* * *
Twelve more days passed.
For Soo-ho, it felt like hell, yet simultaneously, today marked the end of two weeks of training that had delivered unimaginable growth.
On this final day, John instructed Soo-ho to do light stretching and relaxation work instead of strenuous practice.
Soo-ho followed the instructions and loosened up, with Mark moving alongside him.
After training concluded, John called Soo-ho into his office.
“You really did give your all. But ultimately, what matters is whether you pass the test or not.”
Soo-ho nodded briefly.
He hadn’t slacked off for nearly two weeks.
After training at the Rehabilitation Academy ended, he would move separately to the Park for additional practice.
As a result, the newly learned swing was transcending mere imprinting and becoming internalized within Soo-ho.
He had transformed it from simply mimicking the form into making the power and efficiency contained within that swing truly his own.
John continued.
“The swing itself is perfect! But there’s one remaining problem.”
Soo-ho’s eyes widened as he asked what it was.
John spoke with grave conviction.
“It’s actual game experience. You have absolutely no real-world experience with this newly learned batting technique, do you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I shared the same concern as John.
During practice, this swing was flawless.
But I had no idea how much power it would generate in actual competition.
I’d need to demonstrate 100% of its potential to guarantee passing the test….
On this point, I couldn’t make any promises.
John smiled faintly.
He still had a trump card to help me.
“That’s why I’m going to give you a tip today.”
“A tip?”
“Yes. A weapon you can use effectively even in actual competition. If you just follow my guidance, you’ll be much closer to passing.”
My eyes gleamed with anticipation.
John elaborated on his reasoning.
“Whose swing is that?”
“Yours, Coach.”
“Right. I’ve made my living with that swing since I was young. So who would know its strengths better than anyone?”
“Obviously you, Coach.”
“And how many times do you think I’ve stepped into the batter’s box with this swing?”
The tension drained from my face.
“Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of times.”
“Exactly. So, doesn’t that inspire confidence?”
John clenched his fist.
I clenched mine and extended it toward him.
“Absolutely, Coach.”
“Good. Let’s get straight to it.”
John adjusted his posture.
“First, exploit the opposing pitcher’s psychology. They’ll underestimate you at first because of your small frame.”
John looked directly into my eyes.
“If you were the pitcher and your opponent looked easy to handle, what kind of pitch would you throw?”
I answered without hesitation.
“A fastball. Since it’s a Dodgers tryout, throwing with pure velocity would look impressive.”
“Exactly. So the only pitch you should target on your first at-bat’s first pitch is a fastball. You absolutely cannot miss it.”
I nodded briefly.
John continued.
“Second, after your first at-bat. Your result will be unexpected, right? Whether it’s a home run or a solid hit, the ball will travel far. So how do you think the pitcher will respond to you?”
“They’ll probably try to avoid solid contact by throwing off-speed pitches.”
“Right. Starting from your second at-bat, the pitcher facing you will be nervous. They won’t be fooled by your size anymore. They’ll come at you with off-speed pitches, so what should you do?”
“I should target the off-speed pitches.”
“Yes. Quickly identify what pitch types they have and target the off-speed offerings. But!”
John’s explanation continued.
“The guys who’ll be there are all skilled hitters, so even if you aim for breaking balls, they might swing and miss. It’s best not to get pushed to two strikes, but it can happen.”
“What should I do if that happens?”
“Never lose your nerve. Instead, you need to shrink your strike zone.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
Conventionally, after two strikes, batters expanded their strike zone.
Narrowing it would only lead to strikeouts.
But John had a sound reason for this.
“In the end, this test isn’t just about you. They won’t relax even after getting two strikes. No—they’ll actually get more nervous. That is, if you’ve executed your initial task well. When that happens, they’ll try to throw better pitches. But they’re not Major Leaguers, are they? They’re in the same position as you.”
“So wild pitches might come my way.”
John gave me a thumbs up.
“Exactly. Your baseball IQ is sharp. That’s right. What happens when you hit a wild pitch?”
“It’ll definitely be a solid hit.”
“See? That’s pretty solid advice, right? I’ve lived through this myself, so you can trust it.”
I clenched my fists tightly.
Then I stood up and bent at the waist repeatedly in gratitude.
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”
This kind of practical advice was data I could never obtain on my own.
John had not only taught me his swing technique.
He’d passed on data he’d accumulated over a lifetime.
Of course, John’s full database was far more extensive.
If he shared everything, we’d need to talk through the night.
But he didn’t do that.
That made me even more grateful.
Rather than filling a player’s head with various data before a test,
it was far more effective to clearly define what needed to be done and focus solely on that goal.
“Thanks, but you’d better pass this test and give me some good publicity, right?”
“Leave it to me!”
I was confident.
He was practically handing me success.
If I failed after all this, I’d have to quit baseball for real.
But I still wanted to keep playing.
And it felt like heaven was helping me.
I’d met such wonderful people.
* * *
The next morning, the day of the Dodgers test.
I woke early and prepared myself.
Two weeks of grueling training had hardened my body to a degree incomparable to before.
Yet in my chest, subtle tension mingled with an overwhelming sense of anticipation—I was finally stepping onto the stage I’d always dreamed of.
Mark was waiting for me in the Lobby.
His face clearly showed tension, though he forced a bright expression.
“Soo-ho! Your condition is perfect, right? Now it’s time to show what you’ve got!”
At Mark’s words, Soo-ho gave a small nod.
The two then boarded the vehicle they’d arranged beforehand and headed toward the Test Venue.
The morning sunlight of Los Angeles poured down brilliantly, and the long shadows cast by palm trees added to the exotic landscape.
But Soo-ho’s gaze remained fixed solely on their destination.
The vehicle headed toward the Minor League Test Complex, a remodeled Former Dodgers Camp Site in Thousand Oaks.
The massive Baseball Club logo embedded in the main gate seemed to flaunt the grandeur of the Major League.
Other promising prospects already gathered there came into Soo-ho’s view.
Dozens of young players were either warming up or conversing with coaches.
Their physiques were uniformly muscular and defined, and their eyes gleamed with exceptional talent and fierce determination.
‘Everyone here must be just as desperate as I am.’
It was a true battleground of talent—a world apart from the Independent League Tryout.
Soo-ho closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
‘All the preparation is done.’
Now there was only one thing left to do: show them what I could do.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————