(Yonhap Interview) Confident Wiz outfielder Hilliard looking to be 'centerpiece' of KBO club

## Summary
Sam Hilliard of the KT Wiz (L) is greeted by teammate Kim Hyun-soo after hitting a two-run home run against the LG Twins during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 28, 2026, in this photo provided by the Wiz. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) "It didn't take much convincing for me to get over here. It can be really stressful having to move up and down from city to city with a family." Sam Hilliard of the KT Wiz poses with his first Korea Baseball Organization home run ball after an 11-7 win over the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 28, 2026, in this photo provided by the Wiz. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) Hilliard said his wife was fully supportive of his decision because she too wanted to "travel and have new experiences." "I just think that it's a great opportunity for me," Hilliard said. "If I come over here and play well, then I'll have a lot of opportunities and see what happens. Sam Hilliard of the KT Wiz poses for a photo after an interview with Yonhap News Agency before a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 28, 2026. (Yonhap) "Their command is really good. I just want to be a leader for this team and get us back to the playoffs and hopefully win a championship." Sam Hilliard of the KT Wiz hits a two-run home run against the LG Twins during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 28, 2026, in this photo provided by the Wiz. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) jeeho@yna.co.kr (END)

## Article Content
By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- With over 300 major league games under his belt over the past seven seasons, outfielder Sam Hilliard believes he still has what it takes to play at the sport's highest level.

But with a young family in tow, Hilliard, 32, grew tired of bouncing between the majors and the minors. In search of more stability and also a chance to chart a path back to the big show, Hilliard chose to sign with the KT Wiz in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the 2026 season.



Sam Hilliard of the KT Wiz (L) is greeted by teammate Kim Hyun-soo after hitting a two-run home run against the LG Twins during the clubs' Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 28, 2026, in this photo provided by the Wiz. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"It didn't take much convincing for me to get over here. It sounded like a great opportunity for me," Hilliard told Yonhap News Agency before the Wiz opened their season against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Saturday. "I've heard a lot about the KBO just from my time playing baseball, and everyone seems to like it and think it's legit. That's just been my experience since I've been here."

As the lone foreign-born hitter on the Wiz, Hilliard will be assured of regular playing time in the outfield and in the heart of the lineup -- something he didn't get to enjoy in recent years.

"Throughout my career, I've been up and down in Triple-A a lot," said Hilliard, who has split time between the highest level of the minors and the majors in each of the past five years. "I'm very confident in my ability to play in the big leagues, but I wanted to see the world, and I wanted to come over here and not have to worry about things like that. It can be really stressful having to move up and down from city to city with a family."



Sam Hilliard of the KT Wiz poses with his first Korea Baseball Organization home run ball after an 11-7 win over the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 28, 2026, in this photo provided by the Wiz. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Hilliard said his wife was fully supportive of his decision because she too wanted to "travel and have new experiences."

"I just think that it's a great opportunity for me," Hilliard said. "If I come over here and play well, then I'll have a lot of opportunities and see what happens. I want to produce, and I want to play every day, which is not something I got to do at the big league level."

Hilliard began his KBO career with a three-hit, three-RBI effort Saturday to help the Wiz take down the Twins 11-7. One of those hits was a two-run home run in the seventh inning for his first dinger in South Korea.

The man with 17 home runs in 91 Triple-A games last year will be counted on for similar power production here, and he said he will have to learn how to attack KBO pitchers quickly.



Sam Hilliard of the KT Wiz poses for a photo after an interview with Yonhap News Agency before a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on March 28, 2026. (Yonhap)

"Their command is really good. Guys might not throw as hard (as those in the U.S.), but the way they throw their fastballs, they still have a lot of life and a lot of carry," Hilliard said. "It still seems hard even though the radar gun might not say it's quite as hard. They just command their off-speed pitches really well early in the count. There's no such thing as a fastball count here for me.

"They seem to pitch me differently than what the scouting report suggests," Hilliard continued. "I'm just going to try and learn every day and keep a book on these guys and gain some knowledge and hopefully have some success against them."

Hilliard is one of three new American players for the Wiz this year. They were one of only two teams to replace all three foreign players from the end of 2025 to begin 2026, with pitchers Matt Sauer and Caleb Boushley newly joining the rotation.

"When you're in a place where you're the foreigner and the minority, it's good to have those guys to lean on," Hilliard said. "We get along great. We've been hanging out and just bouncing everything off each other, and kind of keeping each other sane in those moments."

Even though he is new to the team, Hilliard said he still wants to be a leader for the Wiz by leaning on his experience.

"To be a centerpiece of the team at the highest level in this league," Hilliard said when asked about his goal for 2026. "I just want to stay healthy and give my team consistent at-bats. There are going to be ups and downs, and that's just baseball. So trying not to get too high or too low. I've had a lot of experience on both sides of that, so I have a good idea on how to handle it. I just want to be a leader for this team and get us back to the playoffs and hopefully win a championship."



Sam Hilliard of the KT Wiz hits a two-run home run against the LG Twi

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- There's no such thing as a fastball count here for me. "They seem to pitch me differently than what the scouting report suggests," Hilliard continued. "I'm just going to try and learn every day and keep a book on these guys and gain some knowledge and hopefully have some success against them." Hilliard is one of three new American players for the Wiz this year.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- That's just been my experience since I've been here." As the lone foreign-born hitter on the Wiz, Hilliard will be assured of regular playing time in the outfield and in the heart of the lineup -- something he didn't get to enjoy in recent years. "Throughout my career, I've been up and down in Triple-A a lot," said Hilliard, who has split time between the highest level of the minors and the majors in each of the past five years. "I'm very confident in my ability to play in the big leagues, but I wanted to see the world, and I wanted to come over here and not have to worry about things like that.
- The man with 17 home runs in 91 Triple-A games last year will be counted on for similar power production here, and he said he will have to learn how to attack KBO pitchers quickly.
- Guys might not throw as hard (as those in the U.S.), but the way they throw their fastballs, they still have a lot of life and a lot of carry," Hilliard said. "It still seems hard even though the radar gun might not say it's quite as hard.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers hilliard, wiz, baseball topics. Notable strengths include discussion of hilliard. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 963.