Ji Hwan Bae ready to showcase speed, defensive versatility for Pirates after promotion

Ji Hwan Bae doesn’t speak English but flashed a knowing smile when he heard speed mentioned as one of his best assets.

The 23-year-old South Korean was promoted to the Pittsburgh Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis and couldn’t wait to make his major league debut Friday at second base against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.

“I’ve dreamed of it all my life,” Bae said through translator Young Choe. “I’m so excited. I’m ready to go.”

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Bae stood out to the point that his name was frequently mentioned in discussions with players returning from rehabilitation assignments or being called up from Indianapolis.

“One of the things that happens is players either come up from Indy, or they come back from Indy if they’ve been on rehab or optioned or something, and they come back and we ask them, ‘Hey, how was it? What did you see? What stood out?’” Cherington said. “Bae was a pretty common response with players who had been at Indy coming back here. It was like, ‘That kid can play. He can do a lot of things.’ Sometimes, teammates give you the best feedback. He can do a lot of things and we’re excited to see that on a major league field.”

A natural middle infielder who can play the outfield, Bae showcased his speed and versatility this season at Indianapolis. Cherington said Bae’s “good development” on defense has been a bright spot, given that he played 57 games at second base, 24 at shortstop and 20 in center field for Indianapolis this season.

“It’s not super common for a player to be able to play middle infield spots and center field at what we think is a strong major league level,” Cherington said. “He’s shown (he is) capable of doing that at Triple A, so we look forward to seeing that. That’s a unique combination.”

Ranked the Pirates’ No. 11 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 23 by Baseball America, the left-handed hitter slashed .289/.362/.430 with 23 doubles, six triples, eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 108 games at Indianapolis this season. He also had 30 stolen bases, and promised to showcase his speed.

“If I get a chance,” Bae said, “I definitely will.”

Bae signed with the Pirates for $1.25 million in March 2018, a year after MLB voided his deal with the Atlanta Braves as punishment for international signing violations. He was suspended 30 games in 2019 after his conviction of assaulting a former girlfriend.

“Luckily for me, I’ve met so many people who have influenced me to a better side,” Bae said. “Those people have taught me to be a better person and better player. They’ve helped me and supported me. Especially for me, I came from Korea, I was alone by myself. I don’t speak English. I don’t speak any other language. My teammates helped me. They’ve supported me. The clubhouse feels like home. It has influenced me to be a better person and a better player.”

Bae credited fellow South Koreans Jung Ho Kang, whom he met as a rookie, and Indianapolis teammate Hoy Jun Park for advising him over the years.

Bae returned from his suspension to win the South Atlantic League batting title with .323 average, then slashed .278/.359/.413 with 12 doubles, five triples, seven homers and 31 RBIs in 83 games for Double-A Altoona. He’s long been speculated to get called up to the Pirates this season, and Cherington thought the timing was right to get him regular playing time over the final dozen games.

“There are only two weeks left, so I’m going to try hard for two weeks and try to prove it, try to learn from the best players,” Bae said. “This was my big dream. I tried hard to be a better player for the team. I’m also thankful for the people who have supported me so far.”