*This content was translated by AI.
"I don't think I have any worries as I go to camp for the first time."
Cho Hyung-woo (24, SSG Landers) laughed. Although he was determined to be the last, he is no longer unfamiliar with the title of the main master.
Cho Hyung-woo met with reporters ahead of his departure from the SSG 1st spring camp in Florida through Incheon International Airport on the 23rd and said, "I haven't complimented myself, but I think I have more room," adding, "I don't think I have any worries as I go to the camp for the first time."
Cho Hyung-woo, who set foot in the professional league in the second round of the SK Wyverns (SSG's predecessor) in 2021, did not stand out much until 2024.
SSG, which gave Lee Ji-young (40), the main position, began a full-fledged team remodeling ahead of the Cheongna era in 2028, and one of the big tasks was catcher. It was expected that Cho Hyung-woo and rookie Lee Yul-ye (20) would rise to a level where they could compete with Lee Ji-young.
In fact, Lee Yul-ye played only six games. Lee Ji-young also had to be satisfied with his 72 appearances. Cho Hyung-woo grew rapidly and played in 102 games and played 696 ⅓ innings as the main catcher. He is eighth in the innings among the league's catchers. I can say for sure that he is the main catcher of SSG.
He left a regret with a batting average of 0.238 (64 hits in 269 at-bats), four homers, 29 RBIs and 23 runs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.606, but his steal rate was 28.2%, the third-highest among catchers who played more than 600 innings after Kim Hyung-joon (35.6%) and Kim Gun-hee (34.1%).
Although there are still many shortcomings, Cho Hyung-woo's contribution to SSG's ability to remain in second place with an ERA of 3.63 last year was also indispensable.
With Cho Hyung-woo's growth, SSG was able to decide to send Lee Yul-ye to the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu) in April. It was a situation that was completely unimaginable a year ago. Cho Hyung-woo, who met with Star News at the time, said, "Of course, there is urgency. "I've accumulated a lot of experience without realizing it," he said. "Now is the time to think it's really the last time and do well," he stressed, but he has secured the main position for a year and is on his way to the spring camp.
Cho Hyung-woo said, "I was always excited when I went back into the season after the season, but I was also worried," adding, "I'm just excited now. However, on the contrary, I think there is a certain more sense of responsibility," he said.
In November last year, he played in the K-baseball series under the Taegeuk mark. Cho Hyung-woo, who was selected for the senior national team for the first time, played as a starting catcher in the second game against the Czech Republic and made a multi-hit, leading the pitching staff to an excellent 11-1 victory.
It was for a while, but his experience in the national team became a great asset for Cho Hyung-woo. "It was such a huge experience. On the other hand, I gained more confidence and thought, "I can do it, too," and "I still lack a lot." He explained, "So I was motivated to play baseball better, and I was able to work harder by expanding my goals that I always had only in the team to the national team."
I just want to be a better player. "I think it should definitely be better in the attack indicators. "I think everything should be better, whether it's batting average or slugging percentage or on-base," he said. "Especially in defense, experience is important, but I had another good experience even though it's a year, and I hope I get a better performance with a good experience this year."
He is also greedy to play in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where military service issues are at stake. "I'm greedy, but we have to do well in the team first. He said, "We need a clear position in our team to be greedy," adding, "There is a possibility that we will be elected only then." Last year, I played to some extent, so I think I followed the selection of the warm-up match. I will do well from March. I think that's more important," he stressed.
Health is the most important thing to play in the perfect main game and even the Asian Games. "I thought I shouldn't get sick even more. Rather than resting well, I think reinforcement exercise or treatment is important, he said. "I tried to treat bad places even in the offseason, and I think I should pay more attention in the future."
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*This content was translated by AI.
