"You were an FA, too." The master of the house laughing to be the winner catcher... KT Captain's idea is changed. "I'm ready for my physical strength.""

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz's main catcher and captain Jang Sung-woo (36) expected a positive synergy effect with Han Seung-taek (32).

Jang Sung-woo recently said at the 2026 KT Spring Camp held at Kushikawa Baseball Stadium in Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, "I've been with foreign players every year, but this year, new players came and trained to adapt."

He was almost late to join the spring camp. Jang Sung-woo, who is facing his second career FA after last season, had difficulty negotiating with his original team KT. The situation became more complicated when KT first brought FA catcher Han Seung-taek for up to 1 billion won for four years on Nov. 20 last year (down payment of 200 million won, annual salary of 600 million won, incentives of 200 million won).

In the end, he was excluded from the list of the first spring camp. However, Jang Sung-woo showed enough affection to attend the KT Fan Festival, and eventually signed a two-year, 1.6 billion won (800 million won in down payment, 600 million won in annual salary, and 200 million won in option) on January 20, a day before his departure. Jang Sung-woo responded, "It wasn't that the story didn't go well. I was preparing for the camp and signing a contract, so there was nothing very difficult," he calmly replied.

Jang Sung-woo's value shines the most in reading, which stays at KT for 11 seasons and grasps the strengths and weaknesses and tendencies of pitchers better than anyone else. As such, it was the fastest to identify new pitchers.

He said, "Boshley is passionate, and his attitude and ball in baseball was definitely good. Sugimoto also had a good ball because he came back from being in the Japanese independent league. "I'm looking forward to both players because it's better to receive it in person, unlike just watching it," he said.

Even in a position that consumes a lot of physical strength, he consistently plays more than 100 games and hits double-digit home runs. Since he traded to KT in 2015, he has never missed more than 100 games, and since 2020, he has drawn more than 10 arches every year.

Therefore, what KT manager Lee Kang-chul worries about every year is Jang Sung-woo's physical strength. In response, Jang Sung-woo said, "We didn't prepare anything special regarding physical strength. I don't think it's hard because I play a lot of games every year. However, when I play the season, I feel that I have lost my stamina without realizing it," he said honestly.

In the meantime, when Jang Sung-woo was exhausted, Cho Dae-hyun (27) and Kang Hyun-woo (25) alternately filled the gap. However, it is also true that neither Cho Dae-hyun, who is weak in offense, nor Kang Hyun-woo, who is disappointed in defense, have been an alternative for a long time.

In that sense, Han Seung-taek was an appropriate alternative. Han Seung-taek was recognized for his good defense despite his disappointing batting, and contributed to the KIA Tigers' victory in the Korean Series in 2017. Han Seung-taek, who has strength in blocking stolen bases, could have taken away catcher Jang Sung-woo's playing time, but he changed his mind.

Jang Sung-woo said, "As you know, our team is not a comfortable team from the beginning of the season to the end of every year. "There were some difficulties as a captain and main catcher because it's a team that always has a lot of difficult times," he said. "Even so, there was a difficult part of not going out just because it was hard, but with (Han) Seung-taek, the catcher's team improved. I didn't prepare much for my physical strength, but I think that's what I'm ready for."

It was also proved in recent practice games how good Jang Sung-woo, who is physically ready, is a batter. Jang Sung-woo played as the fourth batter and catcher in a practice game against KIA in 2026 spring camp at Keen Town Baseball Stadium in Kin Town, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on the 5th, leading KT to a 5-2 victory with three hits, one RBI and one run in three at-bats, including a preemptive two-run shot.

Jang Sung-woo had a hard time in his first year as captain after the end of last season, coincidentally, he was not able to advance to the autumn baseball league in a row. Unlike him who blames himself, the support of his team members is strong because Jang Sung-woo, who has led the team well as a leader, came and went from different pitcher and fielder groups and took care of congratulatory events in his spare time.

When asked about this year's goal, Jang Sung-woo said, "Individual performance is the most important, but if you become a veteran, you will prioritize team performance. I made my first captaincy last year, and I was very disappointed because I was not good personally and team-wise."

"What I always tell the players is that the team with good relationship and good atmosphere among the players is not a strong team. The strong team is a team with many good people. He always asked me to do it with the idea that the team will develop only when individuals develop. I also don't have a clear personal goal, but I'm going to do anything to make the team do well," he stressed.

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*This content was translated by AI.