As Socrates went, a scarier foreigner appeared. The aspirations are different. 

New foreign hitter Patrick Wisdom of the KIA Tigers expressed his strong ambition ahead of the 2025 season. He raised fans' expectations by vowing to hit 45 home runs in his debut season of the KBO League.

When asked by commentator Park Yong-taek on KBSN Sports YouTube recently whether he could hit 40 homers, Wisdom showed his number and promised with a smile, saying, "I will hit as many as my number." His number is 45, which means that he will soon become the home run king of the KBO League.

After winning the combined championship last year, Kia made a big decision in the process of reorganizing its team. It gave up renewing its contract with Socrates Brito, who contributed to the team's victory by posting a batting average of 0.320, 63 homers, 270 RBIs and 40 steals for the past three years, and hired Wizdom, a slugger with a huge right-handedness. Brought to the KBO league by investing 1 million U.S. dollars, Wizdom is considered a slugger who hit more than 20 homers for three consecutive years in the Major League.

As a right-handed hitter with strong slugging capability, Wizdom can expect good performance against left-handed pitchers. KIA is trying to maximize the destructive power of its batters by establishing a strong central batting line centered on Wizdom.토토사이트

KIA already has the best batting lineup. Kim Do-young, who hit 38 home runs last year, will challenge for 40 to 40 steals in the 2025 season, while veterans Choi Hyung-woo and Na Sung-bum are also expected to hit 20 or more home runs. Notably, if Na ends the season healthy after failing to play full-time due to injury for the past two seasons, there is a chance for 30 home runs.

If Wisdom hits more than 30 home runs at the center line, KIA's batting lineup is expected to become stronger. Coach Lee Bum-ho said in an interview with a media outlet, "I am very satisfied if I hit about 30 home runs with a batting average of 0.280." On top of that, if Wisdom hits a confident target of 45 home runs, he can become one of the leading home run hitters in the KBO league.

KIA, which won its second unified championship since its foundation last year, aims to win its second consecutive title in the 2025 season. If the 45 home runs predicted by Wisdom become a reality, KIA is likely to establish itself as a team with the best batting lineup in the KBO league, not just a favorite.

Attention is focusing on what the harmony of Wisdom's long-shot power and central batting line will produce and whether his pledge will be realized.