"Untimely body aches → 3kg" Solved Rookie of the Year, "I don't think it's just Ahn Hyun-min's DH, very strong heart"... Will I board the WBC with the trust of the head coach? [Saipan Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

It was an off-season training designed to build up the body, but rather lost weight. Ahn Hyun-min (23, KT Wiz), who is preparing to participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC), has properly soldered.

The national baseball team, which flew to Saipan on the 9th to prepare for the 2026 WBC, started its first training session at the Oleye Sports Complex from the 10th.

However, Ahn Hyun-min, who left the training site early after briefly leaving the training site, was excluded from the training the next day. The reason was an unexpected body ache. An official of the national team said, "Ahn Hyun-min is taking a rest at the hotel due to mild symptoms of body aches," adding, "It is early in the camp, so I did not overdo it, but gave him a break as a precaution."

Ahn Hyun-min appeared in the last three days of training on the first turn, but he looked haggard and somewhat contrasted with his teammates who shook off the awkwardness and were pleasantly trained. One of the symptoms of body aches was that it was difficult to speak because of the low voice.

Just in time, the day of rest came, and after that, in training on the 14th, he hung out with his colleagues normally and went on batting training. Perhaps because of the aftermath of the body ache, it felt like the timing was not right, but the worst situation that I was worried about seemed to be out of the way.

Ahn Hyun-min, who met with reporters after training, said, "I came here because I prepared well, but since I had a few days of absence, I felt that I should pull it up from the beginning, and I definitely felt today that I should do it," adding, "My physical condition is not 100% yet."

A cough leaked during the interview. He also lost three kilograms of weight. Ahn Hyun-min said, "I'm okay now, but before that, I felt cold no matter what temperature I was at because I was sweating cold." Now that I'm recovering, I think the warm weather is a little better than the cold," he said.

The national team's outfield is in extreme chaos. This is because it is difficult to determine who to exclude. In such a situation, it must have been frustrating to have to stay in the accommodation, unlike competitors. Nevertheless, Ahn Hyun-min said, "I'm focusing on recovery because I have to rest and get better quickly," adding, "I'm not worried because weight loss is caused by not being able to eat much, so I'm not worried because it comes up quickly when I exercise and have normal intake."

He has a solid physique like Hercules, but is particularly weak against colds. "It was like that last year, and when I go abroad, I always catch a cold. I was worried that I wouldn't catch it this year, but it's like an annual event, he said. "I think how to prepare in the future will be more important. In a way, it's like we haven't even started the camp, so I think it'll be more convenient to prepare again," he said.

Ahn Hyun-min showed relatively weak points in defense compared to his competitors, but showed an impact that was second to none in hitting.

Ahn Hyun-min, who made his debut at KT in 2022 and completed his mandatory military service early, joined the team late last year and played in 112 games with a batting average of 0.334 22 home runs, 80 RBIs, 72 runs and 7 steals, a on-base percentage of 0.448, a slugging percentage of 0.570 and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.018.

In the K-baseball series held in November last year, he also showed good defense. Coach Ryu Ji-hyun also said, "We need to create a situation where we can make the most of our strengths. When I say I'm picking Ahn Hyun-bin, I'll pick him based on his strengths, but I don't think he's a designated hitter, he said. "I've been watching him all year, and he's a very bold player. The first player to play in the national team also sent out good players in Japan, and I saw him overcome at-bat. It's not just that I made a result, but I won and went in mentally. That is a very important thing. I think there will be more expectations because I saw that in my first experience," he said.

Ahn Hyun-min also said, "Our team's (Park) Kyung-soo coach also told me that if I go to the main camp, I think I will continue to defend whether it's extra or night. I think I will focus on defense because it will increase only when I do so," he said, expressing his willingness to compensate for his weaknesses.

The national team will return to Korea on the 21st and participate in their respective team camps. I try not to be greedy to do too much for a week. Ahn Hyun-min said, "I think I have to raise my body to the level I brought, but I'm not sure if it'll be possible because I have about a week left." "I don't think it's easy to appeal during this camp, but I think I should keep thinking about it and moving forward because I'm a player who needs to hit hard."

Ahn Hyun-min, who is usually known to enjoy watching Major League Baseball, has one wish. If you play in the WBC, there is a player you really want to meet. "I want to stick to it"There is a player who wants to see him throw rather than flag. Paul Skins (Pittsburgh)," he said. "I've seen him since college, and he's throwing in the MLB with the same feeling as then. I'm really curious how the ball will fly," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.