'Kim Ha-seong's teammate' Im Byung-wook makes honest confession: "I knew well that opportunities would be scarce from now on"

*This content was translated by AI.

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"I knew well that opportunities would be scarce from now on"

Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Im Byung-wook (31), swinging his bat with desperation, activated his valuable first home run of the season, proving his presence.

On the 29th, Kiwoom secured a 6-5 victory in an extra-inning thriller against the Lotte Giants in an away game at Busan Sajik Stadium in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.' The top contributor to that day's win was outfielder Im Byung-wook. In the bottom of the 5th inning, trailing 0-2, Im smashed a high changeup from opposing starter Rodriguez on the first pitch, launching a two-run home run to take the lead. Im, who was registered in the first-division roster for the first time this season on the 24th, made his first start lineup appearance on the 29th, capping his first hit with a home run. He finished with two hits, including a home run, and two RBIs.

After the game, when asked about the secret to his home run, Im pointed to a conversation with his junior and "ace pitcher" An Woo-jin (27). He said, "I spoke with An Woo-jin before the game," and added, "I asked him how to handle pitchers with fast balls and sharp breaking pitches like Woo-jin, and he advised me that pitchers would likely rely more on breaking balls, aware of my power-hitting ability." Organizing his thoughts based on his junior's analysis, he stepped into the batter's box, leading to that decisive hit.

In fact, Im Byung-wook's call-up to the first division this season carries special significance. He had been making cold assessments of himself. Im stated, "I knew well that opportunities would be scarce once I reached the first division," and revealed, "To seize those opportunities, I trained hard to perform well after being promoted from the Futures League team."

In fact, Im Byung-wook was a top prospect selected first overall in the 2014 rookie draft, joining Nexen (now Kiwoom). He is a teammate of Kim Ha-seong (Atlanta Braves), who is currently active in Major League Baseball (MLB). At the time, when Kim Ha-seong was selected in the second round of the third round, Im was expected as the first-round pick who would carry the team's future. However, repeated injuries and poor performance held him back, forcing him to endure a difficult period while his teammate walked the path to the top.

While staying in the second division, Im Byung-wook constantly sought advice from manager Oh Yoon, coaches Park Byung-ho and Jang Young-seok, and veteran Seo Geon-chang, modifying his hitting mechanics. His words, "I had to meet the expectations of those who helped me, so I had no choice but to perform well," reflected the hardships he had endured.

Although he earned this opportunity amid numerous injuries among the team's outfielders, including Lee Ju-hyung and Choi Jae-hyun, Im Byung-wook remained steady. He emphasized, "I don't worry much about injured players returning," and added, "I focus solely on what I must do and contributing to the team's victory."

Im Byung-wook's revival, armed with determination, is expected to be a major boost for Kiwoom, which aims to climb to the mid-tier. Im smiled, saying, "I'm happy that the results matched my preparation, and even happier that it led to a team victory."

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*This content was translated by AI.