“I saw a distance of 140 meters for the first time in Suwon.”
KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol noted that Han Hyun-min's discovery was his greatest harvest in the so-called hellish 9-game series ahead of the rain-canceled game against the Lotte Giants on the 9th.
Han Hyun-min, called up to the first team on the 29th of last month, started all eight games from the match against the Doosan Bears on the 30th until the game against the NC Dinos in Suwon on May 7, boasting a batting average of .375 (32 at-bats, 12 hits), 4 home runs, 12 RBIs, and 6 runs with a slugging percentage of .844 and an on-base percentage of .412.
On the first day of May, Han Hyun-min rescued his team from the brink of defeat by hitting a dramatic two-run homer against Doosan closer Kim Taek-yeon in the 9th inning, trailing 1-3. He then went on to have a monster performance on the 2nd against the Kiwoom Heroes, including multi-home runs and 3 hits, and on the 4th, he hit a thrilling go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the 7th inning, finishing the game after trailing 3-4 against Kiwoom. He displayed his extraordinary power by hitting a 140-meter home run that soared over the left-center field bleachers in Suwon.
Manager Lee Kang-cheol said, “I saw a distance of 140 meters for the first time. The KT ENA Zone (central outfield) juts out, and Han Hyun-min cleared the advertisement board 'KT Family Plan' next to it. The ball didn't drop as it flew. All the players were amazed and stared.”
Han Hyun-min, a graduate of Masan High School, was a promising catcher who joined KT in the second round, 38th overall, during the 2022 rookie draft. While being referred to as a catcher with a strong throwing ability during his amateur days, he transitioned to an outfielder to maximize his hitting after joining the professional league. Han Hyun-min enlisted in the military, attempting to transform into a 100 kg muscle man, and his efforts are finally shining on the first team stage.
Manager Lee Kang-cheol expressed, “Han Hyun-min is a player who makes contact, so I look forward to him when he stands at the plate. He’s different from players who swing and miss. His ability to connect is outstanding, and you never know what will happen when he connects.” He added, “I think Han Hyun-min helped us with 2 wins during the 9-game series. If Han Hyun-min hadn’t been here, the 9-game series would have been a nightmare.”
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