The Brutal 2023 Of Genius Hitters

It's a brutal 2023 year for genius hitters.

Currently, the players who are described as genius hitters in the KBO League vary depending on their views, but they are generally divided into Lee Jung-hoo (25, Kiwoom Heroes) and Kang Baek-ho (24, KT Wiz). Since 2017 and 2018, when he joined the professional league, he has shown extraordinary swings and extraordinary hits, and has only taken elite courses.

But 2023 is brutal. Lee Jung-hoo had a great meaning in his final season ahead of entering the Major League. He was determined to leave Kiwoom after winning his first Korean Series title. Kang Baek-ho's batting graph has been gradually breaking recently, so it was a season that needed a turnaround. Above all, KT Power would have dreamed of winning for the first time in two years because it is at the top.

As a result, he cried with his injuries. Lee Jung-hoo had to undergo surgery in the new zone after his ankle was bent due to an irregular outfield lawn while watching defense against the Lotte Giants in Busan on July 22. He made a dramatic comeback as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth inning of the final home game against the Samsung Lions on the 10th, but it was for fan service. The moment Lee Jung-hoo's ankle was broken, Kiwoom's season was also completely broken. Since then, the team's plan has changed.

Kang failed to rebound again this year. In 71 games, he had a batting average of 0.265, eight homers, 39 RBIs, 32 runs with an OPS of 0.763. He was strong with 0.345 in scoring position, but he could not satisfy the burden of being Kang Baek-ho to comfort him with this. He also had a batting average of 0.245 with six home runs and 29 RBIs last year.

Moreover, controversy outside baseball continued to emerge in the national team. It also became a hot topic as issues outside the physical scope emerged in the slump for two consecutive years. Still, he played well at the Hangzhou Asian Games. He was sluggish at the beginning of the tournament and performed well after the middle, leading the national team to win the gold medal. Even after returning to KT, he raised expectations for the postseason by raising a sense of hitting.

Lee Jung-hoo will still be upgraded to a major leaguer. Even if the injury is disappointing this season, a highlight film that cannot be forgotten will come to the individual. However, Kang Baek-ho's last chance to recover his honor is the postseason, and he injured his right abdominal muscles during his own practice game on the 26th.

Although the extent of the injury is not known exactly, damage to the intraperitoneum usually requires a recovery period of two to three weeks. He will be excluded from the playoff entry against the NC Dinos, which will begin on the 30th. What I'm curious about is the Korean Series, which will be held from the 7th to the 15th of next month, and if KT goes up to the Korean Series, it would be the best scenario if it rehabilitates like a miracle and is included in the entry and is made as a substitute.

But he is also expected to be formidable. This is because the internal oblique muscle injury is better when you rest without playing baseball. It seems difficult to enter the Korean Series entry if you have to rest for three weeks. The final entry for the Asian Professional Baseball Championship, which will be held from the 16th of next month, also seems inevitable to be changed.

Can we expect a miracle November from Kang Baek-ho. KT will have a tough postseason. 스포츠토토