'Unlike the past when it was just Kim Tae-gyun and Noh Si-hwan,' Kang Baek-ho on 2026 Hanwha: "Feels like the KT days"

*This content was translated by AI.

Kang Baek-ho (27), a new acquisition, also felt the turnaround momentum of the Hanwha Eagles, sparked by their fiery hitting.

On the 14th, Hanwha capped off their game against the Gochi Kiwoom Heroes with a 10-1 victory, improving their record to 18 wins and 21 losses, bringing them closer to a .500 winning percentage. Starting from the the 5th game against the Gwangju KIA Tigers, Hanwha has won three consecutive series, and their winning percentage over the last 10 games is second only to the Samsung Lions (9 wins, 1 loss).

The turning point is widely attributed to the return of No. 4 hitter Noh Si-hwan (26). After struggling early in the season, Noh Si-hwan returned for the April 23 game against the Jamsil LG Twins and over 19 games hit .342 (79 at-bats, 27 hits), with 7 home runs, 22 RBIs, 21 runs scored, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.064, leading the Hanwha lineup.

Since Noh Si-hwan's return, Hanwha has boasted overwhelming offensive power, ranking first in team batting average (.295), home runs (30), RBIs (121), on-base percentage (.380), and slugging percentage (.477), narrowing the gap with the fifth-place KIA Tigers (19 wins, 1 tie, 20 losses) to just one game.

In a recent meeting in Daejeon, Kang Baek-ho responded to the impact of Noh Si-hwan's return: "(Noh) Si-hwan is doing well. When you sign a big contract, there is inevitably a sense of responsibility that comes with it, so you can't avoid feeling pressure during games, but his hitting has been far from bad."

He continued, "Si-hwan's strength is his ability to change the team's atmosphere, and I believe he is fulfilling his role well. My role is different; I want to be a player who can relieve some of his burden and be someone he can rely on. That way, I think our team will flow better."

Kang Baek-ho is already fulfilling that role 100%. Over the same period, he hit .397 (73 at-bats, 29 hits) with 4 home runs, 18 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.138 over 19 games, leading the team in batting average and ranking second in OPS, firmly anchoring the lineup. This performance meets Hanwha's expectations after signing Kang Baek-ho as a free agent for a four-year, 10 billion won contract before the season.

Kang Baek-ho said, "I don't think my RBI pace has been bad recently. My physical condition is good, but I need to be more aggressive in my hitting." He added, "The team itself seems to have gained good momentum. I wanted to be a player who could lead the good atmosphere after joining the team, and it seems that part is coming out well. Even without (Chae) Eun-seong, (Kim) Tae-yeon and the players in the middle are doing so well that we are overcoming things without much burden."

Kang Baek-ho is one of the very few players to have experienced a Korean Series championship with Hanwha. After graduating from Bucheon North Elementary, Seoul Isu Middle, and Seoul High, he was selected as the first overall pick in the second round of the 2018 KBO Rookie Draft by the KT Wiz and is now in his ninth season.

He gained attention from his rookie season when he won the Rookie of the Year award, and in 2021, he led KT to its first regular-season first place and a Korean Series championship. During his time with KT, the team grew into a staple of the autumn playoffs, making the postseason five consecutive years without any standout star players.

The genius hitter explains that the atmosphere of KT is being felt in Hanwha recently. Regarding the team's recent atmosphere, Kang Baek-ho said, "One of the reasons our team has been doing well is that, just like the two of us (Kang Baek-ho and Noh Si-hwan), the players behind us have played a really good role. We supported each other, and it felt like we were watching a game from a strong team. When I look at the games played by the position players, it reminded me of the KT days I was part of in the past."

This also means a clear departure from the past Hanwha, which relied heavily on specific players like Kim Tae-gyun (44) and Noh Si-hwan. Kang Baek-ho stated, "It was the same with the KIA series; no one player did everything, but everyone did what was needed when it was needed. Without anyone feeling they had to be the sole resolver, everyone is taking responsibility to connect and solve problems. That's why the current Hanwha feels like a team I can look forward to next week and the week after."

In fact, this year Hanwha has shown a different dynamic from other teams that rely on specific players, thanks to fierce internal competition for home runs. Kang Baek-ho and Heo In-seo each have 8 home runs, while Noh Si-hwan and Moon Hyun-bin each have 7, placing four Hanwha players in the top 10 for home runs, while foreign hitter Yonatan Peraza trails with 6.

Kang Baek-ho responded, "The number of home runs isn't actually that important. I'm not a home run hitter, but (Heo) In-seo, (Moon) Hyun-bin, (Noh) Si-hwan, and Peraza are all doing too well. Those players need to hit more for us to win."

He added, "I'm now in my ninth season, and there is definitely a difference between strong and weak teams as players feel it. Baseball is a sport that is heavily influenced by atmosphere. The atmosphere changes with every scene, with every player contributing and scoring additional runs. In that regard, the recent game content has been truly satisfying since I came to Hanwha. I want to express my deep gratitude to my teammates for doing so well."

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*This content was translated by AI.