"Jang Jin-hyuk is the best at playing Kim Min-hyuk." The effect of the FA reward player has already heated up the KT outfield
"Jang Jin-hyuk is the best at playing Kim Min-hyuk." The effect of the FA reward player has already heated up the KT outfield
Blog Article
At the Geelong Baseball Center in Australia, where the KT Wiz held its first spring camp on the 29th (Korea Standard Time), KT manager Lee Kang-chul could not hide his happy expression as he watched the fielders' batting training. The addition of outfielder Jang Jin-hyuk (31), who came as a compensation player for the FA, is a new vitality to the team.토토사이트
KT appointed Jang Jin-hyuk as a compensation player after starting pitcher Um Sang-baek moved to Hanwha in November last year. Coach Lee Kang-chul, who paid attention to Jang's potential as much as he aimed to trade during last season, eventually embraced him.
Jang showed off his hidden potential by spending his career-high season with the Hanwha Eagles last year with a batting average of 263 (76 hits in 289 times at bat), nine homers, 44 RBIs, and 14 steals. For KT, which needs reinforcement of its outfield, Jang was a perfect fit.
Jang Jin-hyuk seems to be all the more attractive as he is a player from the same team. "He looks young but he is a bit older than me. Still, he is said to be young in physical age. It is good to play, and I think I can use it well," coach Lee Kang-chul said.
"Kim Min-hyuk (30) is the best player since Jang Jin-hyuk is here," Lee said with a smile. With Jang's addition, Kim Min-hyuk, the team's third outfielder, is also working on this camp with tight tension. On the same day, Kim Min-hyuk and Jang Jin-hyuk took turns in front of Lee and made sharp pitches in free batting.
In KT's outfield, Mel Rojas Jr. is moving between left and right field corners centering on the center fielder's allocation. Kim Min-hyuk, who has good batting, took the remaining outfield seats, but he has missed 31 and 29 games over the past two years due to hamstring pain. He played more than 110 games, but needs some management when it comes to defense and running base.
Against this backdrop, Jang Jin-hyuk comes in and seems to be a subtle stimulus to Kim Min-hyuk. Kim Min-hyuk, who recorded a batting average of 292 (633 hits in 2,166 times at bat) last year, has one of the best batting accuracy in the league, but Jang Jin-hyuk is also good at maintaining his strength along with his increased slugging power, so he is often used in offense and defense.
Although the two players are competing for the third outfield position, they can develop into complementary relationships, and KT can also operate the outfield much more fluidly. Competition among backup players for the fifth and final outfield spot has also become much fiercer. Young outfielders, including Ahn Hyun-min, Choi Sung-min and Yoo Jun-kyu, joined the camp along with Rojas, Bae Jeong-dae, Kim Min-hyuk and Jang Jin-hyuk.
Ahn Hyun-min, a big shot prospect, said, "My goal is to enter the opening game entry as the fifth outfielder. I will increase my value so that (Jang) Jin-hyuk can be nervous." It hasn't been long since I joined the team, but as Jang Jin-hyuk quickly melts into the team, a new wind is blowing in the KT outfield.
Jang Jin-hyuk, who is creating a catfish effect, said, "It's only been a few days since I came to the team, but I'm adapting well because the atmosphere is so good. I'm receiving help in many ways because there are many veteran seniors," adding, "I'm preparing hard with the idea that it's a new challenge in the new team. If you want to survive on a strong team, you have to do that well."