(Yonhap Interview) Hot-hitting outfielder trying to learn something new every day in KBO

▲ Anthony Alford of the KT Wiz runs to first base on an infield single against the Hanwha Eagles during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 16, 2023, in this file photo provided by the Wiz. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Anthony Alford of the KT Wiz celebrates a double against the Doosan Bears during the top of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 21, 2023. (Yonhap)

▲ Anthony Alford of the Kt Wiz (C) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run against the Doosan Bears during the top of the first inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 21, 2023. (Yonhap)

▲ Anthony Alford of the KT Wiz takes a swing against the Doosan Bears during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 23, 2023, in this photo provided by the Wiz. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(Yonhap Interview) baseball-player

(Yonhap Interview) Hot-hitting outfielder trying to learn something new every day in KBO

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- Judging by the numbers in the early going of his second season in South Korea, it may seem as if KT Wiz outfielder Anthony Alford has it all figured out at the plate in this league.

However, Alford himself thinks that is exactly the kind of mindset that can derail a successful season.

"I'm just trying to learn something new and get better, because the moment you get comfortable, the game will humble you," Alford told Yonhap News Agency before facing the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Tuesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "So you can't really just ever feel comfortable no matter what league you're in. I just try to get better every day, in every area of the game."

Alford can't be doing much better than what he has done so far in 2023, his first full season in Korea after arriving here as a midseason replacement for Henry Ramos last summer.

Through Tuesday, Alford is batting .379/.453/.576 with two homers, nine RBIs and seven doubles in 17 games. He leads the KBO in on-base plus slugging and ranks second in batting average.

The 28-year-old with 102 major league games under his belt said in the grand scheme of things, "Baseball is going to be baseball" no matter where he plays. But he still had to make a few adjustments here and there after joining the Wiz.

Alford said while major league pitchers try to overpower hitters, those in the KBO "can manipulate the ball really well."

"They're not going to make a whole lot of mistakes over the plate, because I think over here, it's easier to make them pay," Alford continued. "They have to know how to pitch, and I think they do a really good job keeping you off balance in this league, as opposed to the States. You can get away with making mistakes (in the U.S.), because guys throw 98, 99 miles per hour."

In his continuous learning process, Alford said while he finds data supplied by the Wiz's analytics department to be helpful, he tries to focus on the controllable.

"I think the game of baseball is hard, so you can't really just say, 'Oh, I am trying to go make a 30-degree launch angle,'" Alford said. "You just focus on getting a good pitch to hit and trying to barrel it up. Your preparation, your routine, your practice... That's something you can control. Once you get into the lines, it's all about competing and trying to win ball games, and that's my mindset."

A third-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2012 draft, Alford said it was a "fairly easy" decision to re-sign with the Wiz after half a season, considering how much his family enjoyed their stay in the country.

"I had a lot of fun over here. My family loved it over here, so that was the big key," Alford said. "We built some great relationships over here, so we just wanted to come back and build on what we did last year."

Alford had a productive half-season run with the Wiz last year, with 14 home runs, 50 RBIs and 19 doubles in 80 games, and a .286/.362/.509 line. Barring injury, Alford will easily top those numbers this year, though the only number he cares about is the one in the team's win column.

"I'm all about just having fun and winning. I feel like if I'm doing those two things, everything else will take care of itself," Alford said. "I'm not going to throw those stats out there that I'm trying to accomplish, because the game of baseball is hard. The biggest stat is winning games.

"They brought me over here because they feel like I can help the ball club win games, and that's what I want to do," Alford continued. "And on top of that, I really just hate losing. I hate losing more than I like winning. I just want to have fun and win, and continue to build good relationships over here, because I just don't want to take this opportunity for granted."

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