The starting shortstop and the fourth starter have left for Hanwha Eagles, but there is no sense of loss. Rather, they have built a robust top five contender, along with dark horses, achieving better results than when they were present. This is the result of a smooth generational transition that has washed away the tag of slow starters.

The professional baseball team KT Wiz has lost both key players who exercised free agency rights during the last stove league. Starting shortstop Shim Woo-jun chose to transfer to Hanwha for a four-year aggregate of 5 billion won, and the winning percentage king Eom Sang-baek also opted to move to Hanwha for a four-year aggregate of 7.8 billion won. There was a significant gap in the roster just two days after Shim Woo-jun left the team on Nov. 7 and Eom Sang-baek left a day later on the 8th. With the departures of essential players such as the shortstop and the fourth starter, a challenging spring camp is expected.

KT is further burdened as, as of the morning of the 5th, four infielders are absent due to injuries. Starting third baseman Heo Kyung-min (side) is among them, as well as keystone combo resources Kim Sang-soo (side), Oh Yun-seok (inner thigh), and Jang Jun-won (ankle fracture), who are not in the first team roster. In the case of core infield resource Heo Kyung-min, it is anticipated that there will be a gap of at least a month since his exit on the 28th of last month, and Jang Jun-won suffered an ankle fracture while filling the gap left by his seniors and has undergone surgery. He will require 12 weeks of rehabilitation.

Surprisingly, KT is currently competing for rankings with the top teams in fifth place (18 wins, 2 draws, 15 losses in 35 games), trailing the first-place LG Twins by 3.5 games. They are solidifying their position in the top five alongside championship contenders LG, Samsung Lions, dark horse Hanwha Eagles, and Lotte Giants. Last year, with 35 games played, they fell to ninth with a record of 13 wins, 1 draw, and 21 losses (winning percentage .382), but this year they are performing well with a winning percentage of .545 despite various variables such as free agency losses and injuries.

In fact, Lee Kang-cheol's 'gum baseball' is not new this year. Since his appointment in 2019, he has been tormented by injuries almost every year, but he made full use of depth, leading to a championship in 2021 and five consecutive playoff appearances. This year, the depth is as solid as the 'gum' itself. Additionally, there is the merit of being young and having a promising future. It is evident that a virtuous cycle of generational change is finally taking place, rather than just filling gaps temporarily.

Eom Sang-baek's absence is being excellently covered by the new player Oh Won-seok. Dubbed the second Kim Kwang-hyun, Oh Won-seok moved to KT from SSG Landers in a 1-for-1 trade with Kim Min. He had struggled with chronic control issues during his time with the Landers but has blossomed into a reliable fifth starter for KT. He has showcased impressive performances with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses, and an earned run average of 2.52 over seven games, becoming a solid pillar of the KT starting rotation. His quality starts count is at 5, with a WHIP of 1.07 and an opponent batting average of .188, demonstrating stability. His performance is aptly described as a complete transformation.

In the infield left by Shim Woo-jun, the performance of reserve player Kwon Dong-jin stands out. Kwon Dong-jin, who completed his education at Se-gwang High School and Wonkwang University, was selected fifth overall in the second round of the 2021 rookie draft by KT. He initially did not make a significant impact early in his career and headed to the military, but this year, he has solidified his position as a starting shortstop with impressive stats of a .382 batting average, 6 RBIs, and 9 runs scored in 21 games with an OPS of .926. His batting average with runners in scoring position is a remarkable .500, indicating an improved ability to handle pressure situations compared to before his enlistment. Although Shim Woo-jun, Heo Kyung-min, Kim Sang-soo, and Oh Yun-seok are missing, Kwon Dong-jin's presence lessens the infield gap.

In the outfield, An Hyun-min, referred to as 'Little Rojas,' is creating a sensation in professional baseball. With Kim Min-hyuk injured and Bae Jeong-dae struggling, he has seized the opportunity to showcase tremendous power with a .400 batting average, 4 home runs, 12 RBIs, a slugging percentage of 1.000, an on-base percentage of .435, and an OPS of 1.435 over six games. Starting with a dramatic game-tying two-run homer against Doosan Bears on the 1st, he followed up with a multi-home run game against Suwon Kiwoom Heroes on the 2nd and a go-ahead out-of-the-park two-run homer against Kiwoom on the 4th, firmly establishing his name.

An Hyun-min, a graduate of Masan High School, was a promising catcher who joined KT as the 38th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 rookie draft. During his amateur days, he was known for being a speedster behind the plate, but he transitioned to an outfielder to maximize his hitting after turning pro. An Hyun-min enlisted in active duty and attempted to transform into a 100 kg muscular man, and finally, that effort is paying off on the first team stage.

Unlike the mound, KT's lineup has struggled with rebuilding and has been plagued by concerns over aging. Heo Kyung-min, Kim Sang-soo, Hwang Jae-gyun, and Moon Sang-cheol are all players in their mid-30s. However, this year is different. Young players, who Manager Lee Kang-cheol has been cultivating since the Australian spring camp, are finally unleashing their potential and are threatening their older counterparts. Even if Heo Kyung-min, Kim Sang-soo, and Oh Yun-seok return, they will have to compete against their impressive growth.

Moreover, in the starting rotation, they have young left-handed prospects acquired through trades, who they are determined to rescue even if it means going through hell. In the outfield, indigenous resources who have hit home runs have emerged since Manager Lee Kang-cheol's appointment.

With the strength of young players, KT is washing away the label of being slow starters. Therefore, the early winning percentage of .545 feels even more welcome.

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