In the 2025 season, “Ma-Hwang (Ma-Seong-bin)” Hwang Seong-bin (26) is also predicting an unstoppable run.
He is expected to set up an outfield with Kim Min-seok, Yoon Dong-hee, and Victor Reyes of the Lotte Giants during the 2024 season. Kim Min-seok was a rising star as the first Lotte player to achieve 100 hits (102 hits) in the 2023 season with a high school diploma. Yoon was a national outfielder who was selected for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, and Reyes was a newly recruited foreign hitter.메이저놀이터
Lotte’s plan suffered a serious setback due to Kim’s ruptured inner abdominal muscles right before the season opened. Kim, who missed the exhibition game, returned to the mound in April, but failed to display performance in the 2023 season. Kim, who only posted a monthly batting average of 0.179 (five hits in 28 times at bat) in March and April, was demoted to the second division.
Then an unexpected hero was born. It was Hwang. Before the season, the outlook for Hwang was not bright. He left a strong impression with a batting average of 0.294 with one homer, 16 RBIs and an OPS of 0.707 in 102 games in the 2022 season, but he regressed with a batting average of 0.212 with eight RBIs and an OPS of 0.533 in 74 games in the 2023 season. It seems highly unlikely that Hwang will become the starting member.
He seemed to be losing ground in the competition, but made a splendid comeback. Hwang Sung-bin, who was primarily a pinch runner at first, started receiving opportunities from the game against the LG Twins in April. He had multi hits in five consecutive games from the game against LG on April 18 to the game against SSG Landers on April 24. His monthly batting average was 0.378. He also grew into a key player by posting monthly batting average of around .300 for two consecutive months in May and June.
There was also a moment of crisis. During the month of July, Hwang suffered from the worst slump ever, with his monthly batting average of 0.154. He was outmaneuvering in defense and committed an error. He could have been pushed back to the bench, but he did not give in to the challenge. With his monthly batting average of 0.319, which was 0.354 since September, Hwang has regained his form in the first half.
During the 2024 season, Hwang achieved a career high with a batting average of 0.320, four homers, 26 RBIs and an OPS of 0.815 in 125 games. He made great strides in offense, which was encouraging. He surpassed 100 hits (117 hits) for the first time since his debut and hit the 300-range batting average. He has successfully recovered from his slump in the 2023 season.
What stood out the most was stealing. For the first time since Jeon Joon-ho and Kim Joo-chan, Hwang had hit 50 steals (51 steals) this season. He used to be out frequently while trying to steal, but he has completely improved his shortcomings. The success rate of stolen bases has increased from 45.5 percent in the 2022 season to 83.6 percent in the 2024 season. As a result, Hwang ranked third in the stolen bases category after Cho Soo-haeng (64 steals) and Jeong Su-bin (52 steals).
Now, Hwang’s eyes are on his first career stealer king. Lotte has produced no stolen base king since Jeon Joon-ho in 1993 and 1995. If Hwang wins the top stealer title next year, he will become the first Lotte player to win the title of the stealer king in 30 years.
Of course, the competition to become a starting member is inevitable. Choo Jae-hyun and Kim Min-seok are aiming for Hwang’s position, while Jo Se-jin, who was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2022 rookie draft, will also be discharged from the military. However, Hwang has become a key resource in the team along with Ko Seung-min, Na Seung-yeop, and Yoon Dong-hee. Fans have high expectations on how Hwang will perform next year.