The Hanwha Eagles Futures team won again. They achieved a nine-game winning streak after a tie-breaker in extra innings. Catcher prospect Jang Gyu-hyeon (23) led the winning streak with four RBIs including a sweeping double.
The Hanwha Futures team, led by manager Lee Dae-jin, won 5-2 against the LG Twins in the 2025 Mediheal KBO Futures League at Icheon LG Champions Park after an 11-inning tie-breaker on the 2nd.
The winning streak that started against the KT Wiz on the 20th of last month has now increased to '9'. With a season record of 22 wins and 11 losses, and a win rate of .667, the Hanwha Futures team firmly holds the first place in the northern league, extending the gap to 6 games ahead of the second-place Goyang Heroes (15 wins, 6 losses).
After trailing 0-2 until the 7th inning, Hanwha made a comeback by scoring two runs in the 8th inning. Against LG left-handed reliever Kim Yoo-young, Bae Seung-soo and Lee Sang-hyuk both walked after a full-count battle, reaching first base. Then, a throwing error by pitcher Kim Yoo-young on Han Kyung-bin's sacrifice bunt allowed Bae Seung-soo, who advanced from second to third, to come home.
With no outs and runners on first and third, they attempted a double steal against newly changed pitcher Kim Young-jun. Although the runner on third, Lee Sang-hyuk, was caught in a rundown and tagged out, a walk to Yu Ro-kyul set up a situation of one out with runners on first and second, where substitute Jang Gyu-hyeon succeeded in hitting a timely single to right field to tie the game at 2-2.
The tied game continued until the 9th inning and went into extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th, Hanwha reliever Jang Ji-soo faced a crisis after giving up a single to Lee Young-bin, loading the bases with no outs. However, after striking out Ham Chang-geon with a swinging strike, he caught Shim Kyu-bin with a line drive to right field. The runner on first, Lee Young-bin, was tagged out on the throw from Hanwha's right fielder Lee Sang-hyuk, ending the inning without allowing a run in a no-outs, bases-loaded situation.
Ultimately, in the top of the 11th, Hanwha succeeded in taking the lead. An error by LG shortstop Lee Tae-hoon on Yu Ro-kyul's ground ball resulted in a no-outs, bases-loaded situation. Jang Gyu-hyeon faced a disadvantageous count with two strikes from left-hander Lim Jun-hyung, but he exploded with a three-RBI sweeping double down the left-center field, marking the decisive hit that determined the game.
Jang Ji-soo, who held the 10th inning scoreless, recorded his second win of the season (2 losses), while Lee Sang-kyu in the 11th inning generated two ground balls including a double play to finish the game. It was his first save. Starting pitcher Jang Min-jae (4 innings, 1 run allowed) and veterans with plenty of first-team experience like Lee Tae-yang (1 inning, no runs allowed) and Joo Hyun-sang (1 inning, no runs allowed) also delivered strong performances.
The performance of left-handed catcher Jang Gyu-hyeon led to a comeback victory with 2 hits in 2 at-bats including the game-winning double, tallying 4 RBIs. Jang Gyu-hyeon, who joined Hanwha as the 32nd overall pick in the 4th round of the 2021 second draft, has already completed his military service with the Sangmu team. He is considered a promising prospect, boasting a career batting average in the Futures League exceeding .300 (.302) over five seasons.
Last year, he recorded a batting average of .340 (49 hits from 161 at-bats), 1 home run, and 26 RBIs over 66 games. This year, he is maintaining a batting average of .388 (26 hits from 67 at-bats) over 32 games. Although he is 16 at-bats short of the required plate appearances, his accuracy is sufficient to aim for a .400 average. With 2 home runs and 16 RBIs, Jang Gyu-hyeon also has a good 'strikeout-to-walk ratio' with 19 walks and 15 strikeouts. His on-base percentage is .523 with a slugging percentage of .537 and an OPS of 1.060.
While Hanwha's veterans Choi Jae-hoon and Lee Jae-won are sharing the catching duties in the first team, promising catcher prospects responsible for the next generation are overflowing in the Futures team. Heo In-seo, who made his first-team debut with an RBI double in the 8th inning against LG on the 30th of last month, has returned to the second team, being regarded as the top catching prospect in the team. Meanwhile, Jang Gyu-hyeon is showing steady growth.
Park Sang-eon, who has played 213 games in the first team and has gained experience as a backup catcher, is also actively participating this year with a batting average of .348 (23 hits from 66 at-bats), 2 home runs, and 16 RBIs across 27 games in the Futures League with an OPS of 1.040. Rookie catcher Han Ji-yoon, who mainly plays as a designated hitter, is also showcasing talent with a batting average of .261 (18 hits from 69 at-bats), 4 home runs, and 15 RBIs over 20 games, forming a depth that alleviates concerns about the catching position for the upcoming years.
[OSEN]