[專欄] 李灝宇如何在底特律老虎扭轉菜鳥球季
How Hao Yu Lee turned around rookie season for Detroit Tigers
BY Detroit Free Press體育專欄作家 Jeff Seidel
以下用ChatGPT翻譯 原文全文附在最後
李灝宇如何在底特律老虎扭轉菜鳥球季
我得承認一件事。
我完全看錯李灝宇了，這名 23 歲的底特律老虎隊菜鳥內野手。
他在本季稍早完成大聯盟初登板後，低迷了一個多月，那時我心想：「不可能。他不會在大聯盟混得下去。他看起來完全迷失、毫無頭緒，而且根本跟不上大聯盟的強度。」
但事實上，他確實正在經歷低潮。他確實跟不上大聯盟的強度，32 場比賽 83 個打數只打出 .205 的打擊率。這就是大多數大聯盟菜鳥會經歷的事情，至少對那些不是叫做 Kevin M cGonigle 的凡人來說是如此。
所以，老虎隊把李灝宇下放回 3A 托利多，我犯的第二個錯誤，就是以為故事就這樣結束了。
但並沒有。
不，那才只是開始。
李灝宇究竟是怎麼變得如此勢不可擋的？
不到兩週後，李灝宇重返大聯盟，而他就像完全變成了另一個球員。
截至 8 月 25 日（週二）進入這場比賽前，他在接下來的 54 場比賽中打出 .317 打擊率，OPS 高達 .843。
翻譯：這傢伙現在真的打瘋了。
老虎隊總教練 A.J. Hinch 表示：「他擊球的強度很高，而且對於哪些球該揮、哪些球不該揮，他的判斷非常好。我這麼說並不是指他從來不追打壞球，畢竟每個打者都會追打。但我認為，隨著他一步一步地努力改善對好球帶的掌控，他一直都能擊出非常強勁的球。」
所以，讓我們來深入看看這些數據。
他是怎麼做到的？
首先，他上壘的次數多了很多。
第一次登上大聯盟：上壘率 .241
第二次登上大聯盟：.357。
而這直接反映在他三振次數的下降。
第一次登上大聯盟：他一共被三振 24 次——每場平均 0.75 次——只選到 4 次保送。
第二次登上大聯盟：他已經被三振 31 次——每場平均 0.57 次——並選到 10 次保送。
李灝宇一直都有能力擊出強勁的球。但現在他不僅更常擊中球，也更懂得挑選適合出手的球，因此展現出了強得多的長打火力。
翻譯：這其實沒什麼深奧的，各位。只要李灝宇確實擊中球，球就很容易飛得很遠。
第一次登上大聯盟：2 支全壘打、3 支二壘打，OPS 為 .578。
第二次登上大聯盟：5 支全壘打、9 支二壘打，OPS 為 .843。
而且他在替隊友送回本壘、貢獻打點方面也更加有效率，從 32 場比賽 9 分打點（換算成162 場例行賽約 46 分打點），提升到 54 場比賽 23 分打點（換算成 162 場例行賽約 69分打點）。
「我學會了如何讓比賽慢下來，」他透過老虎隊翻譯 Peter Lin 表示。「我還沒有達到自己的上限。各個方面，我都還在持續進步。」
失敗的正面意義
所以，到底改變了什麼？
李灝宇一直都是個學習能力很快的球員。教練告訴他一些事情時，他通常幾乎能立刻做出調整。但在第一次登上老虎隊時，他第一次遇到了難以做出調整的情況，而那段時間的每件事對他來說都很艱難。
關於李灝宇，最簡單、最直觀的說法就是：他升上大聯盟後陷入低潮，接著被下放，然後找回了狀態。
但這樣的說法其實少了一些細節。
因為也許他在第一次登上大聯盟的最後階段，就已經開始扭轉局面了。也許有些事情當時就已經開始慢慢開竅。
他第一次登上大聯盟的最後一場比賽，是 6 月 1 日對坦帕灣光芒隊；那場他 5 打數 2 安打，還敲出一支陽春全壘打。
也許就是從那時候開始出現轉機。
Hinch 說：「失敗沒關係。那是最好的學習方式，而我們現在這個世界，對於需要比較長時間適應的過程，容忍度變得比較低了。」
現在，有件重要的事情要記住：他還不是一個已經完成的球員。他還在學習，也還在成長。這裡我可以舉一個例子。
李灝宇天生就是一名擅長把球打向反方向的打者。但在週六對堪薩斯市皇家隊的比賽中，他做了一件意義重大的事。
當時是三連戰的第二場，李灝宇面對皇家隊先發投手 Michael Wacha。他抓住一顆滑球出手，將球拉打到左外野圍牆外，而且這支全壘打飛了 446 英尺（約 136 公尺）。
那是一支非常精彩、甚至讓人瞠目結舌的拉打全壘打。
而這也展現了他的成長。
「大家都知道，我很擅長把球轟向反方向，」他透過翻譯表示。「一旦我把拉打能力也發展起來，我就會成為更全面的打者，而這正是我現在正在努力的方向。」
但這件事還可以從另一個角度來看：那支全壘打展現了他還有多少潛力。
Hinch 說：「他的拉打長打能力是存在的，只是他必須稍微花點功夫才能展現出來。……所以，他正在學習很多東西，也正在學習什麼時候該出手。他是一名很有威脅性的打者。」
當他能夠將球拉打時，他就會成為更具威脅性的打者，因為這能讓他有效應對那些想要往內角塞球、讓他難以出棒的投手。
Hinch 說：「隨著他在大聯盟打得越來越久，也發現投手越來越常把球往內角塞，這時候的調整方式就是把球往拉打方向打。他正在展現自己具備從左外野線到右外野線的長打能力，這是很好的訊號，也代表他正在持續成長。」
所以，他持續在場下默默努力，進行打擊練習，也和打擊教練一起訓練。
而且每場比賽前，他都會一球接著一球地練習滾地球，持續磨練自己的守備技巧。
Hinch 說：「他是一名讓人放心的守備者。」
他正在一步一步地變得更好。這也再次提醒我們，對這些年輕球員妄下定論是很不明智的。
Hinch 說：「如果你沒辦法一開始就展現出完美的表現，大家就會開始懷疑到底出了什麼問題。實際上，那只是在適應一個你過去從未到過的層級。李灝宇是個容易被低估的年輕球員。我們會談到 Kevin（McGonigle），也會談到 Max（Clark）——大家都會說，『喔，他們真的非常年輕。』」
但別忘了，李灝宇才 23 歲。
Hinch 說：「對年輕球員多一點耐心，讓他們自己去適應這個獨特的層級。我認為，信心來自經驗，以及一次次做出好的表現。我們希望這些年輕球員不要每次表現不好，就覺得自己好像又要被下放了。我們不希望他們帶著恐懼打球。」
幸好，這從來不是李灝宇的問題。
Hinch 說：「他從來沒有真的帶著恐懼打球，但第一次上來的時候，他很自然地會懷疑自己是否屬於這裡。第二次回到大聯盟後，我們看到他更能做自己了一點，而我只是認為，太早對球員下定論是一種罪過。只不過，這種罪不像一般的犯罪一樣會受到懲罰。」
所以，算我有罪。
很明顯，他屬於這裡。很明顯，他擁有相當出色的天賦，而他值得擁有時間，讓這份天賦慢慢成長。
以下原文
How Hao Yu Lee turned around rookie season for Detroit Tigers
I gotta admit something.
I was completely wrong about Hao-Yu Lee, the Detroit Tigers’ 23-year-old rookie infielder.
After he made his MLB debut earlier this season and scuffled for more than a mon th, I thought: No way. He is not gonna make it in the majors. He looks lost and confused and overmatched.
But the truth is, he was struggling. He was overmatched, hitting .205 in 83 at-b ats over 32 games. That’s what happens to most rookies in the big leagues, at l east the mere mortals not named Kevin McGonigle.
Detroit Tigers second baseman Hao-Yu Lee (50) bats against the Tampa Bay Rays du ring the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, August 24, 2026.
So, the Tigers sent Lee back to Triple-A Toledo, and my second mistake was think ing the story ended right there.
Because it didn’t end there.
No, that was just the beginning.
Less than two weeks later, Lee returned to the big leagues and it’s like he’s a different player.
In his next 54 games entering Tuesday, Aug. 25, he hit .317 with an .843 OPS.
Translation: This dude is absolutely raking.
“He hits the ball hard and he makes really good decisions on what to swing at,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “When I say that, it doesn't mean he never c hases, like every hitter chases. But I think as he has meticulously worked on zo ne control, then he's always hit the ball really hard.”
So, let’s dig into those numbers.
How is he doing it?
First of all, he’s getting on base way more.
First stint: a .241 on-base percentage
Second stint: .357.
But that’s a direct reflection of not striking out as much.
First stint: He struck out a whopping 24 times – 0.75 strikeouts per game – wi th just four walks.
Second stint: He has struck out 31 times – 0.57 per game – with 10 walks.
Lee has always been able to hit the ball hard. But now that he’s hitting the ba ll more and picking better pitches to attack, he’s showing far more power.
Translation: This isn’t rocket science, folks. When Lee makes contact, the ball has a tendency to fly.
First stint: two homers, three doubles, for a .578 OPS.
Second stint: five homers, nine doubles with a .843 OPS.
And he’s been more productive in driving in his teammates, going from nine RBIs in 32 games (a 46 RBI pace over 162 games) to 23 in 54 games (a 69 RBI pace ove r 162 games).
“I've learned how to slow down the game,” he said through Peter Lin, the Tiger s translator. “I haven't reached my ceiling yet. Every aspect, I'm still develo ping.”
The good side of failure
So, what changed?
Lee has always been a quick learner. When a coach tells him something, he usuall y makes an adjustment almost immediately. But in his first stint with the Tigers, he struggled to do so, for the first time, and everything came hard.
The quick, easy narrative on Lee is that he came up and he struggled. Then, he w ent down and found it. But that’s missing some nuance. Because maybe he'd alrea dy started to turn it around at the end of that first stint. Maybe things were a lready starting to click. His final game of the first stint came on June 1 at Ta mpa Bay; he went 2-for-5 with a solo homer.
Maybe that's when it started to flip.
“Failure is OK,” Hinch said. “It's the best way to learn, and we just have in the world today less tolerance for a slower ramp.”
Now, here is something that is important to remember: He’s not a finished produ ct. He’s still learning. Still growing. And I’ll give you an example.
Lee is a natural opposite-field hitter. But he did something significant on Satu rday against the Kansas City Royals. Lee was facing Michael Wacha in the second game of a three-game series. He jumped on a slider, yanking it way over the left-field fence, a homer that traveled 446 feet. It was a magnificent, if not jaw-d ropping, pull-side homer.
And it showed his growth.
“Everyone knows I'm pretty good at opposite-field homers,” he said through tra nslation. “Once I develop my pull-side, I'm gonna be much more advanced hitter, and that's what I'm working on.”
But here’s another way to look at it: That homer showed how much more potential he has.
“That pull-side power is in there,” Hinch said. “He's had to work to get to t hat a little bit. … So, he's learning a lot, and he's learning when to take his shots. He's a dangerous hitter.”
He's a far more dangerous hitter when he can go pull-side because it’s an answe r to pitchers who want to jam him inside.
“As he's gotten into the big leagues and he sees himself getting crowded a litt le bit more, the adjustment is to take his shots to the pull side,” Hinch said.“He's showing that he has line-to-line power, which is a good sign and a good development.”
So, he continues to work behind the scenes, taking batting practice and working with the hitting coaches.
And before every game, he takes ground ball after ground ball, working on his te chniques.
“He’s a dependable defender,” Hinch said.
Slowly, but surely, he’s getting better. And it’s a strong reminder that it’s foolish to make snap judgements on these young players.
“If you don't show something perfect right away, everybody wonders what's wrong,” Hinch said. “In reality, it's just the adjustment to a level that you've ne ver been before. Lee is a sneaky young guy. We talk about Kevin [McGonigle] and we talk about Max [Clark] – oh, they're super young.”
But remember, Lee is just 23 years old.
“Just have patience with young players and allow them to navigate this unique l evel,” Hinch said. “I think belief comes from experience and doing some positi ve things. We try to get these young guys to not feel like they're getting optio ned every time they do something poorly. We don't want them to play with fear.”
Thankfully, that’s never been a problem for Lee.
“He's never really played with fear, but he naturally questioned whether he bel onged the first time,” Hinch said. “The second time, we've seen him be himself a little bit more, and I just think judging players too early is a crime. It’s just not punishable like normal crimes.”
So call me guilty.
It’s clear he belongs. It's clear he has some serious talent and he deserves ti me to let it grow.
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○ PiTT // PHJCI
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#39 鄭宗哲 Tsung-Che Cheng Boston Red Sox
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https://www.ptt.cc/bbs/Baseball/M.1787755608.A…
ProducerChen 08/26 22:47