The professional baseball player Ha Ju-suk of the Hanwha Eagles is transforming from the 'ugly duckling' into a swan.
Ha Ju-suk started as the second baseman in the game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 28th. He achieved 2 hits in 5 at-bats, with 1 run batted in and 1 score, extending his hitting streak to 5 games.
Hanwha took the lead with a home run from Floréal, the first batter, in the first inning. Ha Ju-suk's well-hit ball was caught by the right fielder as he retreated. Hanwha made it 2 outs and 2 runners on second base after Hwang Young-mook got on base with a hit after 1 out in the 3rd inning, leading to Floréal's groundout to the second baseman. Ha Ju-suk hit a forkball from the opposing starter Coen Wynne, making a timely hit to center field, bringing the runner on second base home to take a 2-0 lead.
After striking out with 1 out and 1 runner on first base in the 5th inning, Ha Ju-suk came up to bat as the leadoff hitter in the 8th inning, tied at 4-4, and attempted a surprise bunt toward first base to achieve an infield hit. He executed a beautifully placed push bunt toward the empty space between the pitcher and the first baseman. The second baseman rushed in to catch it and threw to first base, but Ha Ju-suk was quicker. Commentator Jung Min-cheol noted, 'There is no reason not to place Ha Ju-suk in the second spot.'
The starting shortstop Shim Woo-jun got injured on the 10th against the Kiwoom Heroes when hit by a pitch, creating an opportunity for Ha Ju-suk. Shim Woo-jun was excluded from the first-team roster on the 12th, and Ha Ju-suk was called up to the first team on the 13th.
Initially, Lee Do-yoon played in the shortstop position left vacant by Shim Woo-jun, but since the 17th against the SSG Landers, Ha Ju-suk has started as the shortstop for 10 consecutive games. In those 10 games, he has a batting average of .324 (12 hits in 37 at-bats) with 6 runs batted in and 5 scores. He has recorded 4 multi-hits and has been hot with a hitting streak of 5 games. In the last 5 games, he has 8 hits in 20 at-bats, hitting .400.
He is also performing well defensively at shortstop without major mistakes. Ha Ju-suk's season statistics show a batting average of .310 (18 hits in 58 at-bats) and an OPS of .754. His batting average with runners in scoring position is an impressive .571, demonstrating his effectiveness in clutch situations.
He is filling the gap left by Shim Woo-jun's injury better than expected. While Shim Woo-jun had shown stable defense in the shortstop position, he had a low batting average of .170 (16 hits in 94 at-bats) and an OPS of .459 over the season.
Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon noted before the game on the 28th, 'Ha Ju-suk is doing well in the second spot. Since he is playing as a shortstop, if he feels tired and that his bat speed is slowing down due to fatigue, I will move him down the lineup.'
After finishing last season, Ha Ju-suk applied for free agency but nearly became an 'FA orphan.' As soon as the free agency market opened, Hanwha signed shortstop Shim Woo-jun for a maximum of 5 billion won over 4 years. Even after the new year, no other teams showed interest in Ha Ju-suk. Hanwha offered a 1-year contract to Ha Ju-suk, totaling 110 million won, with guaranteed compensation of 90 million won.
Ha Ju-suk was charged with driving under the influence after the end of the 2022 season, which limited his opportunities. In 2023, after returning from a KBO suspension, he had a batting average of .114 (4 hits in 35 at-bats) over 25 games. Last year, he recorded a batting average of .292 (40 hits in 137 at-bats) over 64 games in the first team.
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