Baseball: A Two-Way Player

At the shortstop position, ever since Didi Gregorius left the team at the end of the 2019 season, this position has troubled the Yankees for a long time, and it was one of the key factors in their failure in the postseason in 2020 — after all, the offensive capability of a shortstop may be somewhat lacking, but the defense must be excellent, otherwise, it can easily become a breakthrough point during defense.

Before the start of the 2021 season, the New York Yankees broke the record for the highest contract amount for a Korean baseball player with a four-year, $28 million contract to sign Kim Ha-seong, the main shortstop from KBO's Kiwoom Heroes;

This shortstop, a three-time Gold Glove winner in KBO, after an initial adaptation period in his first season, officially took over the Yankees' primary shortstop position and played a significant role in the team's championship win in the 2022 season.

Last season, he also claimed his first Gold Glove in the MLB, showing that his defense has been recognized by the Major League.

There's no need to say much about the candidate for third base; Manny Machado has maintained an efficient and stable performance since joining in 2019, even his once notorious fiery temper has calmed with age — he's now the undisputed core of the Yankees' infield, setting an example in both offense and defense.

In the outfield, from left to right, the main candidates are Alex Verdugo, Aaron Judge, and the newly joined Juan Soto.

As the team's vice-captain, Judge's level needs no elaboration: he is currently recognized as MLB's contemporary top hitter, even Lin Guanglai and Shohei Ohtani are slightly less formidable — as long as Judge can stay healthy, hitting 50 home runs is his baseline, this is Aaron Judge's strength;

Left fielder Verdugo's batting is only average, but his defensive skills are quite exceptional, with many statistics remaining at the forefront of the league;

In contrast, right fielder Juan Soto has impressive physical conditions, but his defensive skills are undeniably poor, even disastrous;

However, his exceptionally high walk rate, on-base percentage, and top-tier offensive power are more than enough to compensate for these shortcomings, especially when such a batter is in the front batting order, it only enhances the offensive power of Lin Guanglai and Judge.

The designated hitter position is without doubt held firmly by Lin Guanglai; in the new season, as he focuses on hitting, he is expected to take on more offensive duties.

One could say, the current Yankees team is the Galaxy Battleship of the baseball world, be it from the players' own abilities or the chemistry of the lineup, they are undoubtedly the pinnacle of the entire MLB — and the goal of such a team has always been singular, to win the championship!

In preparation for the upcoming 2024 season, Lin Guanglai, who will focus on hitting in the new year, has made significant adjustments to his offseason approach:

The first task is gaining weight — previously, to maintain the feel for pitching and muscle flexibility and agility, Lin Guanglai's weight was kept between 90 to 95 kilograms;

But now, since he will concentrate on being a hitter, achieving more home runs requires more strength from a greater weight — this offseason, his target is to increase his weight to 105 kilograms before the new season starts.

For this, he is now eating 6-7 meals a day, consuming over 4500 calories, while also engaging in extensive weight training, focusing on strengthening his shoulders, arms, and core muscles.

Another focus is enhancing his base running:

Previously, to avoid injury affecting his pitching, Lin Guanglai was forbidden by the team from stealing bases, unless it was particularly crucial, only then would he dash between bases;

But now, being a full-time hitter, he must put more effort into base running — sometimes a single base can determine the victory of a game.

In response to this, besides the specialized baseball training team, his management team has also specifically recruited Olympic-level track coaches to improve Lin Guanglai's running posture, sprinting motions, among others, thereby making him faster.

After a period of semi-enclosed training, looking at his increasingly muscular figure in the mirror, and the gradually disappearing jawline, Lin Guanglai couldn't help but let out a sigh —

Perhaps, this is the price of success...