adminForeign pitcher Brandon Waddell (Doosan) is back on Korean soil and has promised to contribute to the team.
Brandon arrived in Korea through Incheon International Airport on Saturday afternoon.
Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 5th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Brandon is a left-handed pitcher who debuted in the Major League Baseball in the 2020 season.
Through the 2021 season, he has spent time with the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals, with a career big league record of 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in nine appearances (9.1 innings).
Brandon first joined the Doosan organization last year as a replacement for injured strikeout leader Ariel Miranda, going 5-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 11 games.
He then went on to play for the Rakuten Monkeys of the Taiwan Professional Baseball League. Recently, he got another chance to play in the KBO. Doosan released Dylan Pyle and extended an offer to Brandon.
Brandon made his last start for Rakuten on the 15th and stepped on Korean soil that day.
After his arrival, Brandon said, “I’m very excited to put on the Doosan uniform again. I will try to do better than last year. My body is ready for it. I’m ready to play right away,” he said with a bright smile.
He added: “I missed the fans and all my teammates. The goal is clear. I came back to the KBO because I want more than just fall baseball. I will do my best to go beyond the postseason and advance to the Korean Series,” he said confidently.
Brandon will join Doosan’s training camp on the 17th and then travel to Japan on the 18th to get his visa. He will return on the 21st and take the mound on the 24th against the Kiwoom Heroes at the Gocheok SkyDome.
Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “Brandon pitched yesterday (Nov. 15) and has been in the starting rotation until recently. He’s pitching after seven days of rest, so there’s no problem with his conditioning. I was worried about the travel time to (Japan), but he said he was fine, so we decided to pitch on the 24th.”
Despite the irregular schedule, Doosan is confident that Brandon will be able to make a stable rotation.
He pitched in the starting rotation before coming to Korea from Taiwan, and he’ll get a chance to pitch again in the Korean Baseball Organization after a short stint in Japan.
Doosan believes that he will not have any physical problems.
The fact that he was in the starting rotation until the last minute and the results weren’t too bad could be an advantage.
Although the team gave up six runs in the final game in Taiwan, Doosan believes that their overall performance in the Taiwanese league was not bad.
In particular, Doosan believes that Brandon’s desire to experience a higher level of baseball in the KBO than in the Taiwanese league could be a good thing.토토사이트
It’s not that he’s dismissing the Taiwanese league, but he’s more determined to prove his worth at a higher level.
That’s why we’re excited about Brandon’s focus.
Brandon has a lot of respect for the KBO, so we can expect better results from him as a player.