They push and pull and play with a bat. The momentum of a ‘genius hitter’ who is sure of motivation is frightening.
KT Wiz Kang Baek-ho played as the designated 메이저놀이터hitter twice in an exhibition game against Doosan Bears held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do on the 21st and recorded 2 hits and 2 walks in 4 at-bats. It is 100% on base since the first at-bat in the demonstration game with a pinch hit in the 8th inning of the game the previous day. Looking at the situation, you can see how focused he is on the game.
Doosan’s starting pitcher was Choi Won-joon. Against Choi Won-joon, he hit to the left in the first inning, and went on base with a hit to the right in the third inning. Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop nodded and acknowledged the way he pushed, pulled, and controlled the bat freely according to the situation.
And in the 5th inning, he showed a pioneering plan to pick out a walk after a full count battle. In particular, in the 7th inning, where he was behind 2-5, he did not forcefully turn the bat. He put up with a manned pitch and got a walk to create a chance to top the bases. He was strong-willed to gather runners when he was trailing by three runs.
KT’s follow-up batters did not miss the chance to load bases created by Kang Baek-ho, and tied the score 5-5. He was always serious until he was replaced with a runner in the 7th inning.
On the other hand, Kang Baek-ho suffered a 47.3% annual salary cut after finishing last season, and in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), he made a mistake in the overseas topic of ‘Ceremony Juusa’ and received a lot of criticism. But after the game against Australia, he changed. In the WBC, Kang Baek-ho recorded 8 hits in 14 at-bats and a batting average of 0.571, ranking first in Group B batting average. After ‘Ceremony Ju Rusa’, he set his spirits straight and showed his skills.
Also, Kang Baek-ho is sure to be motivated this season. This is because his closest colleague and senior, Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom Heroes), advances to the major leagues after this season. Lee Jung-hoo, who was called a ‘genius’, is giving enough stimulation to Kang Baek-ho.
Kang Baek-ho, who was called a genius hitter since high school, became a really scary player when he focused on the game with a serious look. He hit 29 home runs in his debut season in 2018 and was determined enough to win the Rookie of the Year title, and he is a player who can easily hit 20 to 30 home runs. Combining his slugging power, he is showing a step up from the demonstration game.