'Wow' Futurity's 40% hitter, what a flexible defense... "I definitely feel that you've grown up."" There's a reason for camp confidence

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz infielder Ryu Hyun-in (26), who returned from the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu), raised expectations with a more advanced defense.

KT lost 4-5 to the KIA Tigers in the 2026 KBO exhibition game held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 15th.

While starting pitcher Matt Sauer collapsed with six hits (two home runs) in five innings, six strikeouts and five runs with no outs, the batting lineup also failed to turn the game around in the end.

Among them, Ryu Hyun-in, who started as the second batter and second baseman, stood out. Ryu Hyun-in succeeded in getting on base twice with one hit and one walk from four times at bat, including a double that separates the outfield in left-center.

He, who gained fame by appearing on TV entertainment fireworks baseball during Dankook University, is a right-handed and left-handed infielder who joined KT in the 70th place in the seventh round of the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft. Last year, he won the Southern League batting champion with a batting average of 0.412 (152 hits in 369 times at bat) in 98 games in the Futures League, nine homers, 80 RBIs, 103 runs and three steals, 71 walks and 38 strikeouts, and a 0.503 on-base percentage of 0.572 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 1.075.

Ryu Hyun-in, who recently met Star News at the Okinawa Spring Camp in Japan, expressed satisfaction, saying, "I definitely feel that I have grown more than when I came to the spring camp when I was a rookie in my first year."

"In Sangmu, I think it has improved the most in terms of hitting timing. I also gained confidence by watching a lot of balls and gaining experience through many games. Now I can stand the falling ball well and I can feel it getting better," he said with a smile.

On this day, he also made many good scenes with his flexible movements in defense. In the bottom of the seventh inning, he gently caught Chung Hyeon-chang's ground ball with no outs and first base to make a toss and double play on the second base. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with one out, Kwon Da-yeol's ball that quickly crossed the second base against Son Dong-hyun was caught and threw to first base and raised the out count. It was a rewarding scene to concentrate on defense by taking gloves from spring camp to second and third base.

During the spring camp, Ryu Hyun-in said, "I don't have a fixed position. I got my gloves on the second and third bases, but I don't have a meet on the first base, but I'm working hard. I just try to do everything well in a given situation," he stressed.

The gap between the KBO first team and the Futures League is considerable. From average ball speed to high-quality breaking balls of foreign batters, no player thinks naively that batting performance in the Futures League continues in the first team. The same goes for Ryu Hyun-in.

The goal was also set at 100 hits. 100 hits are the Maginot Line that fielders who start as backup can realistically stare at. Considering that Koo Bon-hyuk (29, LG Twins), who received a lot of attention as a super utility last year, played 397 at-bats in 131 games and had 98 hits, Ryu Hyun-in's goal is never easy to see.

Ryu Hyun-in said, "I think it is natural to see that grades do not lead to the first team in Sangmu. I also felt what I lacked while playing a spring camp practice game," he said, judging himself with a cool head.

He said, "We try to supplement that part as quickly as possible by stepping up to trial games and first-team games. It's my job this year that I have to endure it like a stick. First of all, the goal is to hit more than 100 hits. You have to play that many games to get 100 hits. I'll try really hard," he said, expressing his strong ambition.

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*This content was translated by AI.