Noh Si-hwan (22, Hanwha Eagles) gave a charming request to his senior Choi Jeong (36, SSG Landers).
Before being called up to the national team, Noh Si-hwan appeared in 126 league games and recorded a batting average of 0.287, 31 home runs, 99 RBIs, a slugging percentage of 0.549, and an OPS of 0.938, standing tall as a slugger representing the KBO League. As of the 24th, he is ranked first in three categories: home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage, and is aiming for a triple crown in batting.
Noh Si-hwan will miss 12 league games during the Asian Games. A characteristic of this tournament is that league games will continue without interruption. Therefore, while Noh Si-hwan is away, competitors may step up. In particular, competitors are pursuing fiercely in terms of home runs and RBIs.
Noh Si-hwan, whom we met prior to the national team convocation training held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 24th, expressed his humility, saying, “The home run king is decided by heaven.”
But his honest feelings are different. Choi Jeong is in second place in the home run category. There are 5 differences from Noh Si-hwan. Choi Jeong is a player who is 메이저사이트good at rushing, so once he gets the hang of it, he can catch up with him.
Noh Si-hwan expressed his sincerity, saying, “First of all, I don’t know how many more shots Choi Jeong will hit while I’m away (for the Asian Games), but I hope he doesn’t hit as many as possible. I hope I’ll be in first place even after I return.”
Noh Si-hwan plans to play starting on the 9th, the very next day after his return to Korea. He has already spoken to director Choi Won-ho. He said, “I plan to play immediately after the national team season ends.
Now, if he increases just one more RBI, he will reach the milestone of 30 home runs and 100 RBI. This becomes a record. There are only three players in KBO history who simultaneously achieved 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in a season at the age of 23 or younger. Only Binggrae Jang Jong-hoon (35 home runs, 114 RBI) in 1991, Hyundai Park Jae-hong (30 home runs, 108 RBI) in 1996, and Samsung Lee Seung-yeop (32 home runs, 114 RBI, 38 home runs, 102 RBI, 54 home runs, 123 RBI) in 1997-1999 achieved this.
And Noh Si-hwan can continue this lineage. It is unfortunate that he did not reach 100 RBIs before appearing for his first adult national team, but he is satisfied with finding his hitting feel. If we look at September alone, there were no home runs. After hitting 30 home runs in the game against LG in Jamsil on the 2nd, there were few home runs. And on the 22nd, a day before the convocation, he crossed the fence for the first time in a long time in the Daejeon Kiwoom match. He hit a two-run gun over the center fence against Kiwoom Moon Seong-hyun in the bottom of the 7th inning when the team was down 1-6 with 2 outs and runners on base. This is Noh Si-hwan’s 31 home run in 16 games. On this day, Noh Si-hwan recorded multiple hits and 2 RBIs, including this home run, and was able to relieve some of the burden and join the national team.
Noh Si-hwan said, “Actually, I was worried a lot before I came because my batting skills were not good. Baseball is a mental battle, so you have to come in a good mood to be excited during training, but I was stressed because my bat wasn’t hitting well. Still, in the last game, I was able to improve my timing and things like that a little bit.” “I think I was able to find peace of mind and train in a good mood,” he said.
Noh Si-hwan’s expected batting order is number 4. He emphasized, “The batting order hasn’t been announced yet, but I expect him to be the central hitter. When I go to the tournament, I have no thoughts of home runs. I’ll just focus on hitting the ball accurately.”