'Hard-Hit Rate' as a Mantra: Su Chih-Chieh Overcomes Slump to Tie for Home Run Lead

(CNA, Taipei, May 21, by reporter Su Chih-she) Even with a poor start to the season, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions slugger Su Chih-Chieh has used his "hard-hit rate" as a mantra. After hitting his sixth home run of the season yesterday to tie for the league lead, Su's mindset remains the same: "Focus on the process, and the results will naturally follow." In previous years, affected by injuries, Su's playing time in the first team was inconsistent. Impatience affected his batting, creating a vicious cycle. In an interview today, he said, "My mindset would become more anxious. I would want a result quickly, which led to not doing the process well, like chasing bad pitches." This year, with a return to consistent playing time, Su has gradually rediscovered his former self. Although his batting average hovered around .200 in late April, he didn't change his mindset. "Actually, I was still hitting the ball hard, the results just weren't good. In the past, I would start doubting myself and want to make changes, but now I look at the data. I know my hard-hit rate is still good, and it will eventually correct itself." From April 24 to May 15, Su recorded a 14-game hitting streak, the second-longest of his career, surpassed only by a 17-game streak in 2020. During this recent streak, he also hit home runs in three consecutive games, a feat he last accomplished in 2020. In that 2020 season, Su had 28 home runs and a .313 batting average. Currently, Su is batting .275 with 6 home runs, temporarily tying with Chu Yu-Hsien for the league's home run lead. His home run total has already surpassed his entire last season's accumulation of 5. However, he admits he doesn't intentionally pursue long balls. "What I can do remains the same: solidify my strike zone and just do what I want to do in the process. Let the results come naturally." (Editor: Lin Shu-hui)