A technically superior hitter.”
Baseball’s LG is back with the second coming of “New Wind Baseball,” leading the league and challenging for its first Korean Series title in 29 years. It’s hard to find a weakness, and every player is cruising along at full strength. Among them, there is 꽁머니사이트one player that manager Yoon Kyung-yup himself considers the best example. Hong Chang-ki, 30, is the “strongest leadoff hitter” in the Twins’ batting order.
“(Hong) hasn’t just regained his old form, he’s gotten better,” Yeom says, giving him a thumbs-up, “He’s the best hitter on the team right now.”
The team’s specialty is snow baseball. As of the fourth day, he leads the league with a 0.448 on-base percentage. It’s more than two points higher than the second-place Yang (0.423). He also leads the league in walks (47) and batted balls (17). Backed by a quality lineup, the formula “Hong Chang-ki = runs scored” is inevitable.
However, Yeom doesn’t just look at on-base percentage. “It doesn’t mean anything if you have a high on-base percentage and low runs scored. He emphasizes the importance of aggressive baseball, saying, “You can only be aggressive if you go out and hit.” He also has a clear order for the team to hit three balls and attack the first pitch.
Hong fits that philosophy perfectly. With a batting average of 0.325 (second), he is in the running for the batting title. “Her swing line has really improved. I’m getting more (hits) because I’m putting my swing on the trajectory of the ball. The direction of the ball is really even,” he said. “Last year I was chasing the ball, and now I’ve found my zone,” he said.
He’s practically a complete player. Despite being a leadoff hitter, he is also expected to perform in clutch situations. “If we change the batting order, he has the ability to hit 80 runs. He has a low strikeout rate and a good contact rate. Even if he strikes out, he doesn’t die. He’s a more reliable hitter than anyone else right now,” he said.
Only one thing: power is not his role. He’s not ready for the big leagues yet. “He’s a timing hitter, not a (bat) speed hitter. He has good timing. The speed needed for a long hit doesn’t come easily. If you try to create it unnecessarily, you may lose your advantage.” He didn’t mind.
“He has everything but the long ball. He’s a technically superior hitter,” he said in praise of his pupil. LG’s ‘red-eye season’ won’t end anytime soon