His record is already over. Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles) does not know how to end his upward trend.
Noh Si-hwan hit a solo home run over Lotte starter Charlie Barnes in the bottom of the third inning, trailing 1-2 at home against the Lotte Giants in the 2023 KBO League regular season at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 6th. From the ball count of two balls, he pulled a fastball 147 kilometers per hour toward the body fence. The 19th gun of the season.
With the home run, he tied for the lead in home runs. The competitor is ‘Living Legend’ Choi Jung (SSG Landers). He will be able to confidently challenge the best third baseman in the KBO League history.
Even before the end of the first half, it has broken the previous career high. He previously hit 18 home runs in 2021, drawing attention as a 토토사이트 big shot prospect who can represent the KBO League. At that time, he played only 107 games due to injury, but he had a batting average of 0.27184 RBIs and an on-base percentage of 0.386 slugging percentage along with home runs.
The following year, the growing pains came. Noh Si-hwan had a batting average of 0.281 last year, but only had six home runs. There was no appearance in 2021, when he was on the verge of achieving a batting average of .300, .400 on-base percentage, and .50 slugging percentage.
This season is different. I took off that single strand that I couldn’t go over in 2021. As of the 6th, there is no flaw with a batting average of 0.315 on-base percentage of 397 and a slugging percentage of 0.564. The 18 home runs recorded in 2021 are already over. At that time, it took 458 at-bats to record 18 home runs, but he has only played 340 at-bats this year.
Compared to last year, it is even steeper. Roh Si-hwan has hit six home runs in the last six games alone. It is the same as playing 115 games last year. He shot four home runs in three consecutive games, including the KT Wiz match on the 28th of last month, the Samsung Lions match on the 30th, and the Samsung match on the 1st. Then, cannons came out for two consecutive days against Lotte on the 5th and 6th. The course was also not biased, such as pulling and pushing.
Competitor Choi Jung-eun has been sidelined for a while due to a tibial muscle injury. For Noh Si-hwan, it is time to aim for a turnaround. It is not easy to win the No. 1 home run title due to the variable of participating in the Asian Games.
However, if he succeeds, he will be the first Hanwha player in 15 years since Kim Tae-kyun (currently KBS N Sports commentator) in 2008. Prior to Kim Tae-kyun, former coach Jang Jong-hoon won the award for three consecutive years between 1990 and 1992 when he was a Binggrae Eagles player. Literally, it is an opportunity to continue the genealogy of the team’s fourth batter.
Young age makes him expect more. At that time, Kim Tae-kyun was in his 8th year since his debut. In his third year, he was a genius who already hit 30 home runs. Coach Jang Jong-hoon was also in his fourth year since his debut in 1990. Those who bloomed early were responsible for Hanwha’s batting lineup for more than 10 years, and Kim Tae-kyun made his debut just before coach Jang’s retirement and continued his genealogy. And Roh Si-hwan, who made his debut just before Kim Tae-kyun’s retirement, proudly challenged the home run king and the league’s best hitter.
Competition between Choi Jung and Noh Si-hwan in the second half is also expected to heat up. The two are competing in each batting title, including the home run king. He is competing for the Golden Glove because he has the same position as the third base, and he is also likely to be a candidate for MVP. Among hitters, only Eric Pedi (NC Dinos) and Adam Plutko (LG Twins), who are challenging for 20 wins, are competing against each other.
However, if Noh Si-hwan wins the competition, it is meaningful. It is Korean baseball that reduced the need for a generational change on the international stage in March. A new star is shining on the league as a new hope before the memory of being close to a nightmare is forgotten.