Kang Baek-ho (KT Wiz) played right field for the first time this season. He wielded a heavy blow at the plate.
KT changed the first-team entry ahead of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League NC Dinos match held at NC Park in Changwon on the 13th. Cho Yong-ho, the starting right fielder, was eliminated from the first team. Cho Yong-ho played in 7 games and was sluggish with 5 hits and a batting average of 0.192 and an OPS of 0.481. In place of Cho Yong-ho, ‘rookie’ Jung Joon-young was called up.
With the departure of Jo Yong-ho, the lineup changed. 메이저사이트Kang Baek-ho started as the right fielder. Kang Baek-ho, who played as an outfielder for the first two seasons after his professional debut, has been active as a first baseman for two seasons since the 2021 season, and last season, Park Byung-ho joined KT and served as a designated hitter. And he said ahead of this season that he’s turning to the outfield.
Kang Baek-ho said in an interview after Media Day in March, “Our team has a senior first baseman who represents the KBO League. I think we have a strong senior.” I thought it would be better to go out. I think I made a decision in favor of the team rather than me. I will prepare well and show that our team is a team that can see the great power.”
Returning to his position, Kang Baek-ho swung a hard blow. He went 3-for-5 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored. This season, he hit in all games except for the Busan Lotte Giants match on the 7th.
Kang Baek-ho struck out in the first at-bat and withdrew with a floating ball to the center fielder in the second at-bat, but the bat started blowing fire from the third at-bat. In the top of the 5th inning, he hit Eric Pedi’s first pitch and sent a ball deep into the 3rd. Shortstop Kim Joo-won caught and threw, but Kang Baek-ho was quick. He then scored on consecutive hits from Anthony Alford and Byeong-ho Park and a sacrifice fly by Sang-cheol Moon.
In the fourth at-bat in the top of the 7th inning, he hit Ha Jun-young’s four-seam fastball, broke through the defensive shift, and made a hit in front of the center fielder. Afterwards, he scored again with Al Ford’s walk and Moon Sang-cheol’s timely hit. Kang Baek-ho, who came out at bat in the 8th inning with 5-3 leading, struck a timely hit against Kim Si-hoon. Kang Baek-ho’s timely wedge hit broke NC’s will to pursue. After that, in the beginning of the ninth, KT scored 4 more points and came out of the swamp of losing streak.
Kang Baek-ho, who played as an outfielder for the first time this season, recorded a multi-hit game in 4 games and marked a batting average of 0.382 OPS 1.039. Will he be able to shake off his sluggish performance last season with a batting average of 0.245 and an OPS of 0.683 and show himself as a genius hitter again?