Choi Jung (SK) was the last home run king in his 20s in the KBO League in 2016. At the age of 29, he hit 40 home runs and became the joint home run king with Eric Thames (NC). Before that, Park Byung-ho (Nexen), who had 37 home runs and 52-53 home runs between 2013 and 2015, was the top home run king in his 20s.
Kim Jae-hwan (Doosan), born in 1988, became the home run king new face with 44 home runs in the 2018 season when he was 30. Since then, however, Park Byung-ho and Choi Jung have been the home run kings. It was either them or foreign hitters. In the past five years, hitters in their 20s have barely made it to the top five home runs 메이저사이트.
As such, the KBO League has dried up in fostering big guns. In that sense, this season’s home run race is fresh. This is because Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha) is speeding. Noh Si-hwan hit three home runs against Suwon KT on the 9th, marking 26 home runs of the season. He ran away from second place Choi Jeong (SSG, 21 home runs) by five.
Noh Si-hwan played in all 94 games played by Hanwha this season and hit one home run per 14.3 strokes. Assuming that he adds four at-bats in the remaining 50 games, it is calculated that he will add about 14 home runs. In other words, it is possible to surpass 40 home runs this year. There is a possibility that it will decrease a little if there is a physical issue at the end of the season. As the league has become a pitching and batting player, few batters threaten Choi Jung at this point.
If Noh Si-hwan becomes the home run king this season, a native home run king in his 20s will be born in the KBO League for the first time in seven years. Born in 2000, Noh Si-hwan is a promising player that Hanwha is determined to support. It is time to be reborn as a third baseman who represents Hanwha beyond promising players. He also booked the fourth batter of the Hangzhou Asian Games at the end of September. In particular, hitting three home runs in front of Park Byung-ho was a signal that the generation of the home run king had changed. Although he wandered last year, he fully adapts to the change that took his hitting point forward without being conscious of striking out this year, maximizing his strengths. The potential burst.
All teams put their lives on the line to foster big guns. However, it seems that it is not going well. Due to the development of physique and technology, promising fast-ball pitchers are on the rise, but promising big guns rarely break out. Kim Do-young (KIA) is the promising player with the best athletic ability recently, and although it is said to be possible to reach 30-30, it is far from a typical home run hitter.
Roh Si-hwan is the only batter in his 20s among the top 10 home runs this season. None of the hitters in their 20s has surpassed 10 home runs. Lee Jae-hyun (Samsung), who was born in 2003, only hit nine home runs. At this point, it turns out that the thirst for young big guns is serious in the KBO League.
In this regard, it is very nice to see the appearance of Noh Si-hwan. It is heard inside and outside the baseball community that Hanwha did a big job apart from rebuilding. Roh Si-hwan also has to wait and see for years. As Choi Jung and Park Byung-ho did, they can be recognized as a true big gun only when they reign as a slugger by hitting around 30 home runs over the years. Neither Hanwha nor the KBO League want Roh Si-hwan’s home run parade to end in a year.