"Are you going to catch up to me?" With just that one line, a home run boom! The Noh Si-hwan effect enjoyed by Hanwha awakens even the home run power instincts of KBO's top prospect.

*This content was translated by AI.

As Noh Si-hwan (26) has come back to life, the Hanwha Eagles are dancing. Among them is Moon Hyun-bin (22), one of the KBO's top prospects.

On the 9th, Moon Hyun-bin started as the third hitter and left fielder in Hanwha's home game against the LG Twins at Daejeon Hanwha Life Eagles Park in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, recording 5 at-bats, 2 hits (1 home run), 3 RBIs, 1 run, and 1 strikeout, leading Hanwha to an 11-3 victory.

With this performance, Moon Hyun-bin has posted a .313 batting average (128 at-bats, 40 hits), 7 home runs, 27 RBIs, 24 runs, and 2 stolen bases in 33 games, with an on-base percentage of .439, a slugging percentage of .563, and an OPS of 1.002. He now ranks first on the team and tied for sixth in the league in home runs.

After the game, Moon Hyun-bin said, "Yesterday (the 8th) was a slightly disappointing game, but I'm happy we didn't fall into a losing streak and were able to secure a victory. I'm glad I could contribute to that." He added, "Everyone has ups and downs, so instead of worrying too much about my recent hitting form, I focused on the team's victory, and it seems good results came out of my at-bats."

This was a game that proved why he is considered the KBO's top prospect. Although his hit was caught at the fence by LG left fielder Song Chan-ui's excellent defensive play, he launched a powerful hit from his first at-bat in the top of the first inning. He warmed up his bat with a base hit to right field in the bottom of the sixth, then unleashed his home run power in the bottom of the eighth with one out and runners on second and third.

Moon Hyun-bin sent Lee Jeong-yong's low-falling slider straight to right field. Although the exit velocity was 157 km/h and the hit itself wasn't particularly fast, the ball struck the center of the bat with a launch angle of 28 degrees and flew 115 meters, easily clearing the Monster Wall. This was Moon Hyun-bin's seventh home run of the season.

The story behind the home run he shared was quite interesting. Moon Hyun-bin laughed, saying, "Before my at-bat, (Noh) Si-hwan told me in my ear, 'If you don't hit a home run here, I'll catch up to you in home run count.' I think the home run came out of my at-bat because I didn't want to be caught up to."

In fact, before this game, the team's home run leaders were tied among four players: Moon Hyun-bin, Noh Si-hwan, Kang Baek-ho, and Yonatan Peraza. This scene would have been unimaginable just three weeks ago. Three weeks ago, Hanwha's entire lineup was stagnant due to Noh Si-hwan's severe slump as the fourth hitter. However, after Noh Si-hwan cleared his mind in the Futures League and displayed explosive hitting form, the team's dynamite lineup began to click like interlocking gears.

Before being demoted to the Futures League, Noh Si-hwan struggled in 13 first-division games without a home run, posting a .145 batting average (55 at-bats, 8 hits), 3 RBIs, and an OPS of .394. However, after being called up, he recorded a .339 batting average (62 at-bats, 21 hits), 6 home runs, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.047 in 15 games.

Commenting on this performance, Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "(Noh) Si-hwan is also hitting the ball well. When Si-hwan hits, the team's scoring power naturally increases."

However, the effect Hanwha expected from signing Noh Si-hwan to a 11-year, 30.7 billion won contract—the longest and largest in KBO history—was not simply offensive firepower. They also expected him to serve as a franchise star who, with his unique approachability and passion for baseball, would act as a catalyst for the growth of young Hanwha hitters. Among the players most positively affected by this is Moon Hyun-bin.

Moon Hyun-bin has previously shown special affection for Noh Si-hwan, even attending his Futures League games. This home run episode is one of the positive examples where Noh Si-hwan, without burden, awakened Moon Hyun-bin's power-hitting instincts.

Just as Moon Hyun-bin overcame the prejudice that he is not a home run hitter, as Noh Si-hwan has come back to life, more hitters are receiving positive stimulation.

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*This content was translated by AI.