SSG Landers manager Lee Seung-yong is looking forward to the performance of Park Ji-hwan, who has returned to the first team.
Lee Seung-yong said in an interview before the game against the Hanwha Eagles in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 29th, '(Park Ji-hwan) was called up after yesterday's game. Good reports have been coming in continuously.'
SSG has set the starting lineup as Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder) - Ahn Sang-hyun (shortstop) - Choi Jeong (third baseman) - Guillermo Heredia (left fielder) - Han Yu-seom (designated hitter) - Oh Tae-gon (first baseman) - Jo Hyung-woo (catcher) - Jeong Jun-jae (second baseman) - Park Ji-hwan (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Mitch White. Chae Hyun-woo has been removed from the first team roster, and Park Ji-hwan has been registered.
Park Ji-hwan is a promising player who joined SSG through the 2024 rookie draft as the 10th pick in the first round. Last season, he showed his potential by recording a batting average of .276 in 76 games (228 at-bats, 63 hits), with 4 home runs, 21 RBIs, 33 runs, and 8 stolen bases, achieving an OPS of .703. However, this season, he has only recorded a batting average of .167 in 18 games in the first team (48 at-bats, 8 hits), with 4 RBIs and 3 runs, achieving an OPS of .379.
Consequently, Lee Seung-yong instructed Park Ji-hwan to focus on building himself up in the second team. He concentrated on increasing muscle mass through weight training and also focused on defensive positions in the outfield and second base.
'(Park) Ji-hwan has completed the project conducted with the front office. As you can see, his muscle mass has increased by about 3 to 4 kg,' Lee Seung-yong noted, explaining the reason for calling up Park Ji-hwan, saying, 'His strength has improved, and his batting mechanics have also gotten better. I thought it shouldn't be delayed any longer, so I decided to call him up to the first team to check.'
Lee Seung-yong said, 'Looking back now, Ji-hwan had difficulty seeing himself as a third baseman. His batting was not good, and he also faced challenges defensively, so I thought we should give him some time and focus more on the outfield. He practiced about 7 for outfield and 3 for second base. In the long term, I think going to the outfield is better, but I believe he still has thoughts about playing in the infield.'
'I just want to keep an eye on him today,' said Lee Seung-yong. 'He has spent a considerable amount of time in the second team, and it must have been tough for him. However, he said he truly enjoyed the bulk-up process. He said he felt a bit of that enjoyment. His body has improved, his batting balance has gotten better, and his hitting speed and distance have increased. Because he has felt that improvement, I plan to have him continue with exercises like weight training even in the first team.' He added, 'Honestly, it wouldn't be easy to perform with the body he had before. Frankly, he only showed good performance for about a month and a half last year. Ji-hwan is a player I plan to develop long-term, so I believe it's important to build his body like this.'
Park Seong-han and Ko Myeong-jun were excluded from the starting lineup that day. Lee Seung-yong said, 'Today, Seong-han said his right thigh was a bit tight. Myeong-jun also mentioned some issues with his back. Seong-han doesn't have a major injury. It seems Myeong-jun needs to undergo a check-up at the hospital tomorrow.'
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