KT Wiz’s Kang Baek-ho is back to his “genius hitter” self. After recovering from injuries and slumps over the past two years, Kang has been on a tear this season, leading the league in home runs, RBIs, and runs batted in.
On April 4, he started at No. 2 in the lineup against Kiwoom at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, South Korea, and went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored. KT won 6-2.
Kang led off the first inning with a single to right-center and scored the game’s first run two batters later when Jang Sung-woo doubled to right-center.
In the third inning, Kang led off with a single and hit a 144-kilometer fastball from Kiwoom starter Ha Young-min for a solo home run (125 meters) over the right-center field fence. 바카라사이트 The home run made it 3-1, his 11th of the season.
In his next three at-bats,
He struck out with runners on second and third in the fourth inning, hit a grounder to first base with runners on first and second in the sixth inning, and grounded out to second base with runners on first and second in the eighth inning.
In 37 games, Kang is batting .366 with 11 home runs, 35 RBIs, a .585 slugging percentage, and a .951 OPS in 52 games (159-for-159).
He is tied for first in home runs with Choi Jung, Han Yoo-seom (SSG), Kim Do-young (KIA) and Peraza (Hanwha), and first in RBIs. He is tied with Heredia (SSG) for the most hits. Park Byung-ho has been leading the offense as the team’s center fielder in the midst of a slump.
Kang won the Rookie of the Year award in 2018 after batting .299 with 29 home runs and 84 RBIs in his rookie year. In 2019, he batted .303 with six home runs. In 2020, he batted .303 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs, and in 2021, he batted .344 with 16 home runs and 102 RBIs, winning the Golden Glove for first base in both 2020 and 2021.
However, injuries have halved his numbers in the last two years.
In 2022, he batted just .245 with six home runs and 29 RBIs in 62 games, and in 2023, he batted .265 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs in 71 games.
In 2022, he suffered a fractured toe in an exhibition game, then spent half the season on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Last year, he suffered an adductor injury, and in the middle of the season, he struggled with psychological issues.
This season, Kang has started the season healthy and has been able to showcase his good batting average and long power. It’s also been a change of pace for him to play catcher. A catcher in high school, Kang has played first base and the outfield since his professional debut.
Manager Lee Kang-cheol has been using him as a catcher this season.
With the introduction of ABS this year, catchers can catch the ball without worrying about framing. His ability to throw to second base is decent. Kang Baek-ho has been starting at catcher when Jang Sung-woo is resting. With Kang Baek-ho at catcher, 사설 토토사이트 the team has a lot of options. Park Byung-ho and Moon Sang-chul can play both first base and designated hitter.
“When Kang Baek-ho played catcher, I’ve never seen him smile like that,” Lee said. “His face brightened and his concentration increased when he went to catcher.”