*This content was translated by AI.
"Power is business."
This is what KBO scout said about KT Wiz's big shot prospect Kim Gun-hwi (19)'s batting last year. Kim Gun-hwi, who dreams of becoming the "second Ahn Hyun-min," has entered the full-fledged debut season with high expectations.
Kim Gun-hwi recently met with reporters at Incheon International Airport ahead of his departure from KT Australia's Geelong Spring Camp and said, "It's my first time playing baseball with senior players in the first team, so I'm most excited. I'm nervous, but I'm really looking forward to learning a lot," he said.
Kim Gun-hwi, who graduated from Seokgyo Elementary School, Yangcheon Middle School, and Chungam High School, is a right-handed uta infielder who was nominated by KT in the 26th round of the third round of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. In the second year, he boldly left Seoul High School, where the players were thick, and headed to Chungam High School. The result was a jackpot. As the main third baseman last year, he succeeded in raising his value with a batting average of 0.366 (30 hits in 82 times at bat) in 25 games, seven homers, 40 RBIs, 30 runs and six steals, and a on-base percentage of 0.530 slugging percentage of 0.732 OPS of 1.262.
One Power was rated the best of the draft. A KBO other club scout A praised Star News ahead of last year's draft, saying, "Kim Gun-hwi's power is the best among this year's draft." KT's scouting team leader Lee Chung-moo also said, "Kim Gun-hwi is a typical right-handed slugger. Once, I hit a foul ball at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, and a light hit hit hit the top of the left fence pole. That's how far the distance is."
However, compared to his strength, he did not receive a first-round pick. The first was the sophistication, which is usually pointed out as a weakness of the prospects of Uta big guns. Another KBO club official, B, said, "I think of Raising Lee Jae-sang. I have good power, but my sophistication is somewhat inferior," he said.
In this regard, scout team leader Lee Chung-moo said, "For sure, there was a difference in (Kim) Gun-hwi's performance during training and games. During training, it made a huge distance, but it didn't come out well during the game. We saw it because the fighting was weak and we couldn't put 100% of our strength on time," he explained.
"I saw hope in the youth national team match in September (last year). "At that time, I felt that I improved by following the fast ball well," he said. "(Kim) Gun-hwi is the timing after all. If you feel burdened by the fast ball, you will follow all the breaking balls, but if you reduce it, it is competitive enough. I still have to do more because I haven't been able to play much."
The second is a tough third base defense. KBO club official B said, "The defense is still a little rough, so it will be difficult for the upper round," and another KBO scout A even talked about the possibility of converting to the outfield by using his feet above average.
Lee Chung-moo, the head of the scout team, said, "It may seem clunky, but the throw is accurate and the shoulder is sufficient to defend third base. Even if your body may look big, you can match the bound well and have a sense, so I'm looking forward to the future," he said, dismissing his concerns.
The player himself knows this point. Kim Gun-hwi said, "Honestly, the defense is not good. So the defensive coaches helped them catch fast balls well. In batting, I prepared a way to correct the part where the timing is constantly delayed and fight with the pitcher," he said with strength.
It is also understandable that all the teams have hesitated to nominate top players. However, KT's belief was in Kim Gun-hwi's appearance outside the ground. Lee Chung-moo, head of the scout team, said, "It is not easy for this type of right-handed gun to come out, but (Kim) Gun-hwi looked bright in any situation. He was positive when training and had a different mentality. "The sincerity in baseball stood out," he said with a smile.
Ahn Hyun-min, a KT hit movie that came out after a long time, was also nominated as such. Ahn Hyun-min was also a promising player who was recognized for his batting itself when he was a senior in high school, but did not receive much attention due to the limitations of his worried catcher's defense and team performance. However, the KT scout team went down Changwon directly again and again to check Ahn Hyun-min's overall training attitude, and boldly nominated him for the fourth round, which was a bit fast at the time.
Kim Gun-hwi, who is 180cm tall and weighs 92kg, is also difficult to call him a large third baseman with a large physique like Ahn Hyun-min, who is 183cm tall and weighs 90kg. However, he is classified as a slugger type due to his fast bat speed and agility that does not fit his physique. All Kim Gun-hwi needs is a lot of at-bat experience and a mental state that will not be shaken by the upcoming frustration.
Kim Gun-hwi joined the first-team spring camp and said, "I think the coach liked it. I also prepared a lot of things that I was disappointed about during the final camp in winter. "I'm working hard because I think there will be a good opportunity in the future if I go and show good performance this time," he said. "I'm a batter who can hit a home run. "I want to hit a lot of home runs and grow into a No. 4 hitter representing KT and the national team," he said.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
