"I lost my chance"" Korean National University's Korea hitter was not satisfied with 'why' his fierce self-reflection despite his first WBC batting average of 300.

*This content was translated by AI.

Ahn Hyun-min (23, KT Wiz), who made a successful debut at the World Baseball Classic (WBC), expressed deep regret in both the process and the results.

Ahn Hyun-min joined the KT squad ahead of the LG Twins' 2026 KBO exhibition game at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 17th.

Ahn Hyun-min, who first won the national flag at 2026 WBC, played in the role of the fourth batter and played five games before recording a batting average of 0.333 (5 hits in 15 at-bats), one RBI, three walks, seven strikeouts, and one stolen base and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.821. South Korea returned home via Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 16th after suffering a cold game defeat in the seventh inning 0-10 in the second round (quarterfinals) match against the Dominican Republic on the 14th.

Ahn Hyun-min, who met with reporters, said, "My head is fine, but my body is tired. The competition itself was really fun. However, although experience is important for WBC, it is regrettable that it is a competition that requires performance. Next time, I think we should try to go further than the quarterfinals," he said.

Overall, it was a tournament that left a lot of regrets. South Korea, which faced the Czech Republic, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and the Dominican Republic in this tournament, lost to all but the Czech Republic and Australia. Ahn Hyun-min said, "When I was feeling a sense of accomplishment (from advancing to the quarterfinals), I felt too much regret (lost against Dominica). I think I felt a lot of emptiness because it was a hard stage to go on," he said honestly.

"When I met Major League players, I felt it was definitely different. The timing itself was really bad at the beginning of the tournament. The hitting mechanism was not bad, but it was not good at the stage of fighting with the pitcher, leaving a regret. Still, I think this tournament will help anyone who has played or has not played," he added.

He left an impact twice as the fourth batter of the national team. The first time was a sacrifice fly RBI in the final group match against Australia, which advanced to the quarterfinals. In the match, South Korea had to win Australia by more than five points with two runs or fewer. In the top of the ninth inning, South Korea led Australia 6-2, and Ahn Hyun-min entered with one out and runners on first and third bases. Ahn Hyun-min sent his first pitch straight to the right-center outfield to meet the requirements for South Korea to advance to the quarterfinals.

Ahn Hyun-min, who recalled this time, said, "I made the first pitch so that I wouldn't feel pressured. I thought a lot of balls put the batter at a disadvantage. The pitching clock helped. I was glad that the results came out right away without time to think."

Another is a double against Dominica, which lost a cold game. On the same day, Korea was helpless against Christopher Sanchez, who ranked second in the Major League National League Cy Young Award last year. Sanchez recorded two hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts in five innings with a maximum of 96.9 mph (about 155.9 km) fastball. Ahn Hyun-min was the only one who hit a double to Sanchez. Ahn Hyun-min's batting was 108.7 miles per hour (about 174.9 kilometers) the fastest in both teams that day. It's a scene that you can see in the Major League.

In response, Ahn Hyun-min said, "It's a great feeling to hit anyone. But it's a game that shouldn't be remembered for a while. In the future, if we want to play a good game and go higher, I think it's best to have a game where we can forget that memory as much as possible," he stressed.

Rather than some good scenes, he blamed himself for not playing the role of a troubleshooter as the No. 4 hitter for the national team. It was a stinging self-reflection. Ahn Hyun-min said, "National team No. 4 was a really unexpected position. It was my first time feeling it because I had never hit it four times before. It was an unfamiliar position, but I tried to do well in a new position, but the result was not as good as I thought."

"Personally, I'm disappointed in the match against Taiwan. As you may have seen both Taiwan and Japan, there were many players who played in the fourth position on the opposing team. There was a game where the final hit came out, and I had enough chances like them. In a way, I thought there were more opportunities for me, but I cut off my pulse," he pointed out with a cool head. "I also had a lot of expectations for myself and the national team, but I was very sorry that I couldn't hold two important games. I think I felt a little more regretful than the other players because I didn't play a good role in those bad games," he added.

I've felt the level of the world, but I don't intend to back down. Ahn Hyun-min said, "All the batters were impressive. "There were many players who sent good pitches not only to Japan, but also to Australia and the Czech Republic," he said. "When I met good pitchers, I thought I should manage my stress well." Still, I thought I might be able to adapt if I reached that level. The mindset is that the opponent is the same person, so he can hit it somehow. If I practice a lot about the fast ball and prepare it, I think I will be able to hit it a little more comfortably later," he said with a smile.

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*This content was translated by AI.