The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 14
With the defensive test concluded, the batters who would step into the Batter’s Box and the pitchers who would take the Mound began warming up their bodies.
The officials watched the promising prospects as they performed light swing drills.
They first marveled at the power behind Mark’s swing.
‘He hardly seems to need this test at all.’
The raw power emanating from his flawless mechanics surpassed that of any other prospect present.
Of course, that was merely the surface assessment.
If Mark failed to demonstrate his prowess in actual gameplay, elimination was already assured for him as well.
Afterward, the officials turned their attention to Soo-ho.
Today, Soo-ho had displayed an exceptional performance in the defensive test, and expectations for him were high.
Soo-ho simply held the bat and swung it lightly.
His form was clean, yet no particular power could be felt from that swing.
However, this was the Dodgers.
The officials’ eyes were sharp.
Among them, Farm Director Kevin approached Frank and asked a question.
“Frank. Although it’s just practice, Oh Soo-ho’s mechanics don’t seem bad at all, do they? Is he really the batter with a hitting score of 20 that we know from the report?”
Frank maintained an outwardly composed expression.
The Minor League Coach standing beside him also joined the conversation.
“That’s exactly right. The report clearly showed he received the worst score in hitting, but judging from his practice swings alone, it doesn’t seem to be that severe. In fact, it looks quite impressive, doesn’t it? Could it be that Scout Frank misread something?”
Frank Lambert’s lips curved upward slightly.
“Indeed. It’s certainly different from what I observed before.”
Kevin tilted his head in confusion.
“What do you mean by that? Surely you’re not saying something changed in just two weeks?”
“To be honest, I don’t know what this kid did either. But of this much I can be certain.”
Soo-ho must have made efforts over these two weeks that were beyond imagination.
And there was good reason for Frank’s conviction.
Two weeks ago, he had witnessed the cruel marks of such relentless effort etched into Soo-ho’s palms.
Kevin spoke with an excited tone.
“He’s 24 years old this year. He’s at the tail end of his prospects. If he shows a good performance in this test, he’ll be worth developing, and if not, we’ll just let him go. If he came here having supplemented his weaknesses within two weeks… his determination is certainly evident. Of course, since you gave him a perfect score in mental fortitude on the report, expectations are high.”
However, ultimately what mattered was skill and the results that followed.
Whether Soo-ho could demonstrate his abilities in the final test depended entirely on him.
* * *
Kevin called the players together.
“I’ll announce the lineup.”
He then singled out Soo-ho first.
“Soo-ho. Batting first. Center Fielder.”
The leadoff batter position.
Soo-ho clenched his fists tightly.
The leadoff batter was the vanguard of the team, a position that signified high expectations.
He was certain he had earned this spot because of his strong defensive performance.
And it was true.
In the eyes of the officials, Soo-ho was a player with quick feet and solid defense.
They simply wanted to get him into the Batter’s Box as soon as possible to observe his performance.
“And batting second is… Mark. First Baseman.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
“Right. Those who’ve been called, prepare to play immediately.”
Mark nodded and left the area alongside Soo-ho.
Mark spoke with barely contained excitement.
“Batting second. That means they have high expectations for me.”
Soo-ho nodded in agreement.
Because in the United States, the second batter is typically the team’s best hitter.
This meant the officials held great expectations for Mark.
“You probably received high marks on the scouting report too, Mark.”
“Probably. But I don’t think I’m jealous or anything?”
“Yeah. Not really. As you know, Mark, the officials probably don’t have high expectations for my hitting right now.”
Mark smacked his lips and nodded.
“That’s true. And your hitting was absolutely terrible at the Independent League Tryout, wasn’t it?”
“You don’t have to hit me with facts I already know.”
“Come on. It doesn’t matter. You’ve perfected John’s swing. Let’s go out there and crush it! Of course… it won’t be easy.”
There was no way around it.
Because just as Soo-ho and Mark had shown strong performances today,
or as players who received high scores on scouting reports quickly took their turn at the Batter’s Box,
the Pitcher they would face would undoubtedly be equally exceptional.
And right then, the opposing team’s Pitcher was announced.
“Next Pitcher, Brandon Smith!”
The moment Brandon Smith’s name was called, Mark’s brow furrowed.
Tension was evident across his face.
He grabbed Soo-ho’s shoulder and whispered.
“Brandon Smith. He’s famous. He’s one of the top ace prospects in the Dodgers Farm system.”
Mark swallowed hard and continued his explanation.
“He was nationally known since high school, and should have been drafted in the upper rounds, but an elbow injury right before graduation increased the risk, so his ranking dropped. Major League organizations are reluctant to draft players with injury histories in the upper rounds, even if they’re talented.”
Still, the Dodgers brought him in, believing in their superior rehabilitation system and development capabilities.
It was a kind of high-risk, high-return investment.
Mark took a breath and continued.
“He’s already pitching in the Dodgers’ Minor League Rookie Level. His participation in this test is probably so the organization can make a final evaluation of his potential for promotion to a higher level.”
Mark’s voice carried both reverence and a hint of fear.
“His average fastball is at least 95 miles per hour, and his slider and changeup are also top-tier. He’ll be the toughest pitcher to face.”
Soo-ho’s eyes widened.
It wasn’t because of the velocity.
“Mark. How do you know all this?”
“Baseball is an information war, after all. But naturally, you end up learning about the famous players without much effort.”
“So he’s that famous of a player.”
“Yeah. So don’t let your guard down and do your best. And if we look at it from another angle… what happens if we take him down?”
“We’d be that much closer to passing.”
“Exactly. That’s why I think this is actually good. The stronger the opponent, the better it is when you crush them, right?”
Mark was right—this was actually fortunate. Just as I was steeling myself.
Brandon Smith took the Mound and casually threw a few pitches.
The heavy velocity and sharp breaking balls drew admiration even from the officials.
Soo-ho and Mark felt the same way.
The determination from moments before—to crush a strong opponent and pass—suddenly felt hollow.
“Damn it. This guy’s insane?”
At Mark’s cry, I nodded briefly.
‘He definitely… doesn’t seem like he belongs at this level.’
But I wasn’t panicked.
‘Still, he’s lacking compared to KBO First Division players.’
The opponent’s pitches were certainly fast with excellent breaking balls.
But there was a rawness to them, likely because of his youth.
Moreover, I had faced KBO First Division players when I played in the Minor League.
Some of them were the best active players.
They typically built themselves back up in the Minor League for rehabilitation after injuries.
‘Compared to those pitches, honestly, this seems manageable.’
And in fact, the average KBO First Division player was rated at Double-A level.
Only exceptional players stepped onto the Major League stage.
Of course, back then I couldn’t hit those KBO First Division pitches.
‘But this time will be different.’
As the leadoff batter in the tryout, I stepped into the Batter’s Box with my bat.
* * *
The Pitcher on the Mound swept his gaze over me as I entered the box.
‘That player. He showed quite impressive defense in today’s test. Fast feet and exceptional fielding.’
Brandon rated my defensive abilities highly.
Honestly, even in the Rookie League where he currently played, there wasn’t a single player with that level of defensive skill.
Even if he moved up to Low-A, the level above Rookie League, there wouldn’t be a player with better defense than this one.
‘Or perhaps even in Double-A, no one could match this player’s defensive prowess.’
That’s how good Soo-ho was defensively.
Yet Brandon felt no tension—instead, a smirk played at the corners of his mouth.
‘But players with good defense usually have poor hitting. Especially those with small frames like that—they lack power too.’
In fact, in modern Major League Baseball, while defense mattered, offensive ability was far more crucial.
Since scoring runs through offense was the priority, teams rarely signed players based on defense alone.
Of course, positions like Shortstop were exceptions, where defensive excellence was paramount.
So he couldn’t assume the opponent was a strong hitter.
Brandon had heard a rough outline of Soo-ho’s profile.
‘Twenty-four years old. Taking a test here at this age means he’s a failure who came back after washing out somewhere else.’
Moreover, he was from Korea. An Asian prospect.
Most Asian players had weak hitting.
So the conviction that Soo-ho’s hitting would be weak had solidified in his mind.
‘I have places to be. I need to wrap this up quickly.’
Brandon signaled directly to the Catcher.
Meanwhile, Soo-ho, having taken his stance in the Batter’s Box, gathered his thoughts.
‘There’s only one pitch I’m looking for.’
A fastball.
That pitch would definitely come.
Soo-ho took a deep breath.
The pitcher’s eyes, his movements, and even the signs he sent to the Catcher.
Everything seemed to align with John Coach’s prediction.
My diminutive frame and the loser’s stigma must have fueled the pitcher’s arrogance.
‘Come on. Throw me your best pitch.’
Brandon’s arm on the Mound rotated with force.
The released ball shot toward Home Plate like a flash of lightning.
The radar gun clocked the velocity at 98 miles per hour—approximately 158 kilometers.
It was the pitcher’s fastest fastball.
As the ball came in, Soo-ho clenched his teeth.
‘Wait. Mark said 95 miles per hour.’
But the fastball coming now felt considerably faster to the senses.
What did it matter?
I already knew what pitch the opponent would throw, and it was coming.
Moreover, John’s swing that I had just equipped had become completely my own.
With this swing.
Even if a prospect was talented, I could hit their unrefined pitches anytime.
Whoosh.
As Soo-ho swung the bat, the Batter’s Box seemed engulfed by a typhoon.
Crack!
A solid, crystalline contact sound shook the entire Glendale Complex.
The ball, struck perfectly at the bat’s sweet spot, shot out like a bullet.
The pitcher’s head snapped sharply, tracking the trajectory.
It was an overwhelming hit—one that couldn’t possibly have come from Soo-ho’s diminutive frame.
The ball split the right-center gap, struck the top of the fence, bounced up, and was instantly sucked deep into the Outfield.
Soo-ho sprinted at full speed.
Rounding First Base toward Second Base.
His feet were as swift as if riding the wind.
While the ball still rolled in the Outfield, Soo-ho had already passed Second Base.
I settled comfortably onto Third Base.
A triple!
Every eye in the Training Ground fixed upon me standing on Third Base.
My expression remained composed.
As though this entire result were utterly inevitable.
There was no trace of surprise in my gaze, no overwhelming exhilaration.
It could not have been otherwise.
I still had more to demonstrate.

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