"Because he is Hanwha's No. 4 hitter," Kim Kyung-moon's "baseball of trust" — the return of the "0.145 batting average power hitter" — sees him starting at No. 4 and third base in the comeback game [Daejeon field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Noh Si-hwan (26), who had been struggling, returned to the 1st team lineup after undergoing maintenance with the Futures League (2nd team). Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon (68) immediately assigned Noh Si-hwan the role of the No. 4 hitter.

Noh Si-hwan will start at No. 4 and third base in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 23rd.

Earlier this season, in 13 games, he managed only one home run and finished with a batting average of 0.145 (55 at-bats, 8 hits), and before heading to the 2nd team on the 13th, he was also leading the league in strikeouts, a dishonorable distinction. Yet, upon his registration with the 1st team, he was immediately entrusted with the heavy responsibility of the No. 4 hitter.

Noh Si-hwan, who donned the Hanwha uniform as the 3rd overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2019 rookie draft, finally emerged as a top-class player in his 5th season. He claimed the batting double crown with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs and also won the third baseman's Gold Glove.

Noh Si-hwan, who had a down year in 2024 with a .272 batting average, 24 home runs, 89 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.810, rebounded last year with 28 home runs and 101 RBIs. After the season, he signed a multi-year non-FA contract worth 30.7 billion won over 11 years, the largest contract in KBO League history.

However, once the season began, he started experiencing severe slumps. Ultimately, manager Kim Kyung-moon sent Noh Si-hwan to the 2nd team.

]

While playing three games in the Futures League, he recorded a hit in every game, but his batting average of 0.231 (13 at-bats, 3 hits) was disappointing. It is difficult to say his condition has been fully restored.

Nevertheless, manager Kim brought Noh Si-hwan to the 1st team on the 21st, stating, "We didn't send him to the Futures League to play well there. When baseball isn't going well, it's stressful, and FA players especially want to perform better but sometimes can't. I believe that even if not immediately upon return, he will gradually find his form. We need to place more trust in him."

That trust appears to have influenced the lineup decision for the day. Hanwha's lineup was arranged as follows: Hwang Young-mook (second baseman), Jonathan Ferrara (right fielder), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Chae Eun-seong (first baseman), Lee Won-seok (center fielder), Heo In-seo (catcher), and Sim Woo-jun (shortstop). The starting pitcher was Hwang Jun-seo.

Manager Kim said, "How could we expect him to perform well from the start? We need to take it slow in games and relieve the pressure. It's not just Noh Si-hwan; any FA player will feel stress when they don't deliver results. So, I hope he can relax his mind, smile more easily with his teammates, and play with more ease."

However, the No. 4 hitter spot can be even more burdensome in a situation already marked by ups and downs. Nevertheless, manager Kim explained the reasoning behind the lineup composition, saying, "After all, isn't Noh Si-hwan our Hanwha's No. 4 hitter?"

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.