Baseball: A Two-Way Player-Chapter 582 - 141: Leaping Over Takayama

Facing Albert Pujols, one of the greatest hitters in history, who combines power, skill, and top-notch pitch selection, every pitcher must be on high alert. Any lapse in focus or attention could lead to irreparable consequences.

The pitch selection strategy between the pitcher and catcher must be meticulous, yet it must not lose the courage and determination to confront the opponent head-on to prevent giving up a long hit. Apart from the diverse types of pitches in the pitching arsenal, psychological strength, execution, and the ability to adapt to changing situations on the field are indispensable.

For Lin Guanglai, standing on the pitcher's mound at this moment, this is undoubtedly the biggest challenge of his baseball career so far:

Albert Pujols is undoubtedly a towering figure in 21st-century baseball, a historical-level player comparable to the likes of Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds.

And standing on the mound facing him is Lin Guanglai, very much like a climber determined to scale and conquer a high mountain. Still, few would believe that he could gain any advantage against Pujols until he actually achieves it.

But only Lin Guanglai knows that there is no such thing as a batter who cannot be struck out. No matter how high the mountain, someone can reach the peak!

"The test is here, Brandon," Cashman said in the VIP section of the stadium. "Facing Pujols is the ultimate litmus test of his star quality—even if the opponent is no longer the invincible 'cyborg' of old, he is still one of the best hitters in the Major League…"

Just as Cashman finished speaking, Girardi, sitting next to him, continued, "Facing a hitter like Albert Pujols, in addition to extraordinary skills, a tough heart is also essential—to become a truly great pitcher, one must have the ability to put the ball into the strike zone at such critical moments… Let's see if this kid really has a lion in his heart, as you said, Brandon."

Shima Keihiro squatted behind the home plate and didn't immediately rush to signal Lin Guanglai; as a catcher, he certainly understood the pressure the pitcher was under at this moment. He thought to give him a little time to steady his mind.

But unexpectedly, Lin Guanglai just stood there, took a few deep breaths, and then, as if nothing had happened, signaled towards Shima Keihiro's position.

Since Pujols confirmed participation in this exchange game, he has been a primary research target for the Japan Team — for the past period, Lin Guanglai didn't know how many times he watched the batting videos of him during games. Every subtle movement in each of his recent at-bats has almost fully been analyzed by data teams and players from Japan Team.

The perfect swing mechanics and amazing power brought about extreme control over inside pitches and missed pitches: Any slight error in control by the pitcher would be mercilessly hit for a long hit or even a home run by Pujols. His excellent adjustment ability and bat control also turn repeating pitch sequences in the same area into a luxury.

However, no matter how strong the hitter, there are more or less relative weaknesses, and the area easiest to target in recent years for Pujols is his heavy reliance on pulling hits:

The data shows that ever since transferring to the spacious home field of the Los Angeles Angels, Pujols, being a right-handed hitter, hasn't hit a home run towards right field. Additionally, due to a decrease in running speed caused by knee injuries, most teams employ a shift defense whenever he bats, concentrating the defense on the third base side—which is why, while maintaining a high home run count, his double plays are also among the highest in Major League history.

Moreover, his excellent pitch selection eye, which helped him establish the formidable reputation of a "cyborg" over many years, might just be a point Lin Guanglai could use to his advantage: Those pitches extremely close to the strike zone edges with tricky trajectories, could very well be the key to victory in this at-bat.

After a brief discussion between the pitcher and catcher, Shima Keihiro firmly positioned his glove at the top edge, the outer corner of the strike zone: a classic ambiguous position, half inside the strike zone, while the other half outside, usually relying on the personal judgment of the home plate umpire for a decision.

Lin Guanglai nodded, his fingers resting on the seams of the ball. After finding that familiar feel, he lifted his leg, turned his body, and swung his arm; his movements flowed like water, bursting with aggressive fire.

The white ball shot out of his hand abruptly, heading straight towards home plate.

Almost the instant the ball was released, Pujols' gaze followed it precisely:

The trajectory of the ball pointed high and outside, incredibly fast, with a fierce look to it—in his brain's database, the ball's initial entry point was expected to be in a "grey area."

If this were during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, with his physical fitness and skill at that time, he could easily have swung to try and sweep it to right field; however, now he indeed found himself somewhat powerless in that regard, especially since it's the first pitch of the at-bat, at such a borderline area, driven by top-notch hitters' pitch selection discipline and rhythm, he chose to stand still, watching the baseball enter the zone.