The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 18

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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 18
That afternoon.
Soo-ho and Mark climbed into the black van provided by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Their destination was Rancho Cucamonga.
A city east of Los Angeles.
Home to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Low-A affiliate of the Dodgers organization.
The glittering downtown of Los Angeles receded beyond the van’s windows.
Beneath the scorching sun, the sprawling suburban landscape stretched out before them.
The Low-A League was where countless prospects fresh off their contracts began their ascent up baseball’s colossal pyramid, starting from the very bottom rung.
It was the true starting point of a ruthless struggle for survival.
For both of them, it was the first stage where they would wear the Dodgers uniform they had dreamed of.
Yet simultaneously, it was the first harsh gateway where countless dreams would be shattered against cold reality.
But as if dissatisfied with something,
Mark, his lips jutting out slightly, nudged Soo-ho’s shoulder and spoke.
“Hey! What do you mean you’re joining right after signing the contract? Shouldn’t we throw a celebration party first?”
That was the situation.
Soo-ho had said he wanted to join immediately after signing.
So Farm Director Kevin had provided them with a vehicle.
Mark wasn’t particularly pleased about this.
If you’d just made it into the Dodgers, shouldn’t a party come first?
“Do you not realize how difficult it is to get into the Dodgers? Thousands of top prospects want to every single year!”
Excitement colored Mark’s voice.
“And among them, only a handful actually land contracts. Especially getting signed through a tryout like we did—that’s even rarer.”
Soo-ho shook his head.
“Mark, you know my situation.”
“I know, I know. You’re anxious because of your age. But what’s the harm in going a week later? Or even just a few days?”
At Mark’s words, Soo-ho turned his gaze toward the window.
“Right now, I just want to play baseball.”
Mark stared at him with wide, bewildered eyes.
“Haven’t we been playing baseball this whole time? Did you take some soccer test yesterday or something?”
Soo-ho met Mark’s gaze directly without flinching.
“That was my last desperate struggle within the anxiety that I might have to give up baseball. Fortunately, I don’t need to abandon it yet.”
Soo-ho continued.
“But I only have one year. If I can’t show something within this year, I’ll have to pack my bags again.”
For me, baseball is not just a sport.
It had been that way since childhood—a survival that my entire life depended on.
At the firmness in Soo-ho’s voice, Mark could only nod, unable to say more.
Only then could he begin to understand the weight of the pressure Soo-ho carried.
“You’re right. I was only thinking of myself. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize. And the real reason I wanted to go right away is because baseball is the most fun.”
“You’re saying baseball is more fun than parties?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ve never been to a party, have you?”
“I haven’t, but I can tell.”
Mark shook his head as if thoroughly exasperated.
“Honestly, Soo-ho, you’ve been playing baseball for years longer than me, and at a much higher intensity too. And you’re still saying baseball is fun?”
“Yeah. I don’t think there’s anything in the world more fun than baseball. Besides, Mark, I’m different from you, aren’t I?”
“Different how?”
“This is my first time playing in the United States. I want to experience real baseball in the birthplace of the sport as soon as possible.”
I want to test myself directly against the best prospects in the country.
Learning the Dodgers’ system while wondering how much more I could grow—I couldn’t contain my anticipation.
“Sigh. Well, I can’t argue with that.”
“By the way, Mark, it wouldn’t have mattered if you came a few days later, right?”
“How could I do that? I’d feel too awkward.”
“An American feeling awkward?”
“Of course I do. Especially since you scored the best results on the test, not me! I can’t help but feel self-conscious.”
Wasn’t that the truth?
What good would it do for second place to slack off?
“And honestly, I think joining quickly is good too. Since I’ll be stuck in Low-A anyway.”
Soo-ho’s expression grew serious.
Mark flinched at the sudden shift.
“Why, why did your expression change all of a sudden?”
“It’s not that. Since you’ve decided to do this, I thought we should map out some goals.”
“G-goals? What kind of goals?”
“There’s a ranking system in Minor League Baseball, right? Do you know how it works?”
I knew the ranking system existed, but I didn’t understand the specifics.
I’d only heard that higher rankings were better, so I wanted to know how this system actually functioned.
“Yeah. And of course I do.”
Mark paused to think, then began his explanation.
“Prospects get a report card, basically. But this ranking isn’t officially announced by the organization—it’s determined by major publications like MLB Pipeline and Baseball America.”
Mark continued.
“The way to raise your ranking is simple. It’s not just about hitting home runs or having a high batting average. Scouts evaluate something called Tools.”
“Tools. I know about that.”
“Right, anyway they score you on five abilities: hitting, power, base running, defense, and throwing. Of course, good stats boost your tool scores too. But do you know what matters most?”
Soo-ho shook his head.
“Age. For you, getting on the ranking list is important, but you need to get on it fast and climb it fast.”
From my perspective, getting promoted to High-A within a year was important too.
But I needed to get my name on the ranking list so the Dodgers organization would pay more attention to me.
“Of course, the faster you get on the rankings and the faster you climb, the closer you get to the Major League. That applies to me too.”
Soo-ho nodded in agreement.
‘So the club has placed restrictions on me.’
I realized once again that age—my greatest handicap—had to become my catalyst instead.
“Mark, I have one more question.”
“What is it?”
“About that ranking. Is it across the entire Minor League, or is it divided by Minor League level?”
“Across the entire Minor League. It’s a combined ranking from Rookie League all the way up to Triple-A. Naturally, the higher your ranking, the better the benefits you receive.”
“What kind of benefits?”
“You can advance to higher leagues faster. You get closer to the Major League more quickly.”
“Is that the only benefit we’d get right now?”
Mark furrowed his brow in deep thought, then his eyes suddenly widened.
“No. Wait. There is one benefit we could get.”
“What?”
“The Arizona Fall League. We might be able to participate in it.”
What’s that? I asked with my eyes.
Mark spoke with a serious tone.
“The Minor League season ends earlier than the Major League, right? Especially for us in Low-A—early September. Teams that make the playoffs end around mid-September. Put simply, it’s mid-August now, so we have roughly a month left.”
“Yeah. I’m listening.”
“They send players who performed well in the Minor League there. Players who are on the verge of promotion but are borderline, so they want to verify their abilities a bit more. Or players like us who just joined recently but have exceptional potential.”
Mark continued.
“It’s not just a training league. It’s a showcase for the Major League—a battleground for future big leaguers. If you stand out there, promotion is nothing.”
In other words, it’s where the club sends players it’s watching or players it should be watching.
“Of course, the probability of us being selected is extremely low. You know why?”
“Yeah. They’d mainly send drafted players, not tryout signings like us.”
“Exactly.”
“Then our goal is set.”
“Don’t tell me… the Arizona Fall League is your goal? It’s not, right?”
“Is it even a luxury to aim for it?”
My voice was quiet, but sparks were flying within it.
The club had made it clear that I needed to produce results.
Of course, it was obvious they were talking about next season.
‘If I develop significantly within a month, or at least show potential, I might be able to go.’
They said I had to produce results within a year.
But faster than that.
My goal was to produce results within a month and win the club’s favor.
Mark read the light in my eyes and sighed inwardly.
‘Damn. There’s that look again.’
Mark had already seen that determined look in my eyes several times.
At the Independent League Tryout.
And when I was learning John’s swing at the Rehabilitation Academy.
And at the Dodgers Tryout.
Above all else.
‘Every time this look appears in my eyes, I’ve accomplished everything….’
And so.
“Damn it. My goal is the Arizona Fall League too!”
* * *
The team van carrying Soo-ho and Mark finally arrived at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Home Stadium.
Within the modest yet endearing atmosphere unique to Minor League Baseball facilities.
What caught their eyes was the sight of dozens of young players immersed in training.
Soo-ho and Mark followed a team staff member’s guidance toward the Director’s Office.
Inside sat a middle-aged man.
It was Taylor, the Manager of the Quakes.
As if exhausted, he pressed his temples with one hand while keeping his nose buried in documents, not even lifting his head as the two entered.
‘Why are these guys joining today of all days.’
Taylor grumbled inwardly.
A month had already passed since the draft ended.
And the season now had less than a month remaining.
Typically, drafted rookies either join the Rookie League immediately.
Or occasionally, exceptionally talented players come to Low-A.
‘But that’s right after the draft ends.’
Yet these two showed up a month after the draft concluded.
Suddenly appearing to join at the very end of the season.
“You two, your names are….”
Taylor reluctantly checked the documents with the two men’s names.
‘Huh? They were picked from the tryout?’
Taylor’s eyes widened in shock.
And not just one, but two of them.
As Taylor flipped through the documents and checked the scouting report scores alongside their profiles, he was astounded.
‘What, what is this. High School Invitational MVP? Mark Williams? This is completely insane talent?’
A national MVP during his high school years.
Originally a top draft prospect for the Dodgers, as he confirmed.
Talent that would already be playing at higher levels of Minor League Baseball if not for injury.
A faint smile spread across the Manager’s face.
His gaze then shifted to the scrawny Asian man standing beside him, pale in comparison to Mark.
To Soo-ho.
Manager Taylor’s expression froze once more in shock as he reviewed his profile.
‘What, what is this? Why are the scores so bizarre?’
Soo-ho’s scouting report was filled with incomprehensible scores.
Base running, defense, and mental fortitude were among the highest tier, approaching perfect 80-point marks.
Yet batting was a substandard 20 points—a league-level deficiency. Everything was polar opposites.
In decades of discovering hidden gems, he had never encountered a raw prospect quite like this.
One side was a diamond, while the other was barely a pebble.
If this wasn’t a scout’s mistake, then it was a puzzle of sorts.
Yet Taylor’s lips curved upward ever so slightly.
The Quakes were currently fighting for a playoff berth.
What they needed wasn’t a predictable, ordinary prospect—it was a card capable of upending the game.
‘This could be interesting. An unfinished monster like this might be exactly the piece our team needs right now.’
But I’d need to see how he performs in actual competition.
Taylor cleared his throat.
“The fact that you two joined us today means you’re here because you want to play baseball, right?”
Soo-ho and Mark nodded simultaneously.
“Yes! That’s correct!”
“Good. I like that. But whether you two will be of any help to the team—I can’t judge that from paper alone. So I’m going to give you a simple test. I’ll put you in as pinch hitters in today’s afternoon game and make my decision based on that.”
Mark asked.
“Pinch hitter means just one at-bat, then?”
“That’s right. If you’re lucky, you might get two.”
“And if we don’t produce satisfactory results?”
“What do you think happens? You’ll be stuck in the corner working on fundamentals.”
“Ah, no… we just got here and haven’t even adjusted yet. Isn’t that a bit harsh?”
“This isn’t a place that waits around for you to get comfortable. Only those who prove themselves when opportunity knocks survive here. Got a problem with that? If it bothers you so much, why don’t you manage instead!”
Taylor’s words were somewhat harsh.
But the Quakes were in a playoff race and needed immediate reinforcements.
Since these two had been picked up from a tryout, their late arrival was unavoidable.
He couldn’t afford to waste critical time developing players who arrived at an awkward moment and weren’t immediate contributors.
Just as Mark was about to continue complaining.
Soo-ho grabbed his collar, signaling him to stop.
“Manager, I understand your point. I’ll do my best to meet your expectations.”
After that, Soo-ho and Mark left the Director’s Office.
Mark’s face was flushed as he vented his frustration.
“Hey, this is completely unfair to us!”
“Mark, we were picked up through a tryout in the first place—this isn’t the time to complain about conditions.”
“I, I know, but… if we don’t show something good today, we could waste the entire remaining period.”
“That’s not true. Sure, it’ll be disappointing, but isn’t there something to learn just from watching? Of course, actual competition is what matters most, so showing a good performance in this test would be ideal.”
“Why are you so calm about everything?”
“Calm? I guess I’ve just adapted.”
A faint smile crossed Soo-ho’s face.
In truth, the word “adapted” fell short.
The essence was entirely different.
Every hour since my release had been survival.
But the test before me now felt less burdensome.
Because failing to produce satisfactory results here didn’t mean the end of the road.
‘So there’s no pressure.’
And above all, an athlete—
especially a baseball player—performs at their best when free from the weight of expectation.

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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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