NC Dinos outfielder Jason Martin, 28, was in a severe hitting slump through May, and his struggles reflected poorly on the entire NC lineup, as he had hit 32 home runs in the US minor leagues (Triple-A) last year and was considered to have good power, contact ability, and vision. Even after returning from the disabled list (April 6-May 4) with a micro-injury to his right adductor muscle, he showed no signs of rebounding. Despite encouragement from NC coach Kang In-hwa, who said, “If you get more at-bats, you’ll be able to show your strengths,” the batting didn’t seem to click.
But Martin was undeterred. To get out of his slump, he even video chatted with coaches in the U.S. and reviewed his batting form. In 23 games in June, he batted .304 (28-for-92) with three home runs and 15 RBIs. In 17 games in July, he led the team with a .359 (23-for-64) batting average, five home runs, and 20 RBIs. His numbers for the season are up to .297 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs.
What stands out most is Martin’s home run nutrition. Of his 10 home runs, three have come in tie situations, two with a two-run deficit, and one each with a one-run lead and a deficit. The fact that 70% of his total home runs (7) came with two runs or less speaks to his competitive nature.안전놀이터
And if his July numbers are any indication, he’s in the running for monthly MVP honors. He was first in RBI, second in OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) (1.049), tied for second in home runs, tied for fourth in doubles, and fifth in batting average. He ranks at the top of the league in most hitting metrics, which makes us excited for more to come.
NC has a strong core of hitters in Son As-seop, Park Min-woo, and Park Geon-woo, but also younger players like Seo Ho-cheol, who has shown promise this season. Even Martin eased their worries by showing the expected form. With a fierce battle for the top spot, Martin’s reawakening has made a big difference.