Professional baseball player Ahn Hyun-min (22) of the KT Wiz is continuing to show remarkable performance.
On the 2nd, Ahn Hyun-min started as the right fielder in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' game against the Kiwoom Heroes held at Suwon KT Wiz Park, recording 1 hit and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats. KT broke its two-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory.
Ahn Hyun-min, who joined KT as the 38th pick in the second round of the 2022 Rookie Draft, had not shown significant performance until last year. His total statistics in the first team included a batting average of .200 (5 hits in 25 at-bats), 1 home run, 2 RBIs, and 5 runs scored in 16 games last year, which constituted his complete record.
However, Ahn Hyun-min's performance this season has been phenomenal. He has recorded a batting average of .335 (65 hits in 194 at-bats), 15 home runs, 49 RBIs, 37 runs scored, 4 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.078 over 53 games, and he is being discussed as a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. On the 1st, he made a strong impression by hitting back-to-back home runs against Kiwoom, one of which was a home run that completely cleared the park.
KT manager Lee Kang-cheol noted in an interview before the game on the 2nd, "Now it's so common for the ball to clear the fence that no one is surprised. Initially, everyone was like, 'Wow,' but these days, they just say it cleared. I also thought to myself, 'That's going far.' The ball really doesn't fall. I think it will be important to manage his stamina well in the summer to continue performing well."
When asked to compare Ahn Hyun-min's power to that of previous home run hitters, Lee Kang-cheol mentioned Park Byung-ho (Samsung), who has a career total of 418 home runs. Park Byung-ho is a representative home run hitter in the league who has won the home run king title six times.
Lee Kang-cheol said, "Park Byung-ho hit balls that left you wondering why they cleared the fence. They don't need to be extremely long; they just need to clear the wall. Rather than power, it seems that Park Byung-ho has a better knack for hitting home runs. Ahn Hyun-min sometimes hits balls that are caught near the wall."
"Ahn Hyun-min is more accurate than the home run hitters I've seen so far," Lee Kang-cheol said. "Home run hitters inevitably have a higher miss rate, but Ahn Hyun-min makes solid contacts and hits with precision. He sometimes hits balls that don't clear the fence because his contact point is slightly behind, but that also means he is generating a lot of solid hits."
"Pitchers have been aware of Ahn Hyun-min for quite some time," Lee Kang-cheol revealed. "From a pitcher's perspective, Ahn Hyun-min can be more challenging. After all, hitters like Park Byung-ho or Roh Si-hwan (Hanwha) can at least catch swing and misses on breaking balls. That's why Ahn Hyun-min may have a tougher time when there are runners on base."
Of course, Ahn Hyun-min is not without weaknesses. Lee Kang-cheol pointed out, "All home run hitters can have weaknesses on the inside. Ultimately, it is crucial who adapts well to inside pitches, but Ahn Hyun-min hasn't reached that level yet," indicating areas for Ahn Hyun-min to improve.
Fans have high expectations for what kind of performance Ahn Hyun-min, who is showing unexpected success this season, will display in the remaining games.
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