"I didn't like the nickname 'First-pitch hitter,'" the pitcher's mindset realized around age 30, Kim Min-hyeok with a .358 batting average heads toward a career high

*This content was translated by AI.

It was only after more than 10 years since his debut that he came to realize this. He began to consider the pitcher's perspective on batting, which had always seemed so difficult, and is now finding solutions through that approach.

Kim Min-hyeok (31) started as the leadoff left fielder in the NC Dinos game held at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 23rd, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored, delivering a powerful performance that led his team to a 10-5 victory.

After starting the previous day's game against NC with three hits, one RBI, and two runs scored on the 22nd, Kim Min-hyeok began this game with a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. He recorded two hits even in a bases-loaded situation in the third inning, was retired on a fly ball to left field in the sixth, but completed his fourth hit in the eighth inning.

This marked his first four-hit game in one year and nine months since the Lotte Giants game on August 9, 2024. Since being drafted by KT in the second round of the 2014 rookie draft, he is currently displaying his most formidable batting form. In 27 games, he is batting .358 (38 hits in 106 at-bats).

Although last year's Rookie of the Year and Golden Glove winner Ahn Hyun-min is out due to injury, Kim Min-hyeok, who began the season in the minor league, is filling that gap excellently. "I can't fill the gap left by Hyun-min," said Kim Min-hyeok, adding, "But it's easier for me to think that I have a role to play. When people around me say things like 'Hyun-min is out' or 'When is Hyun-min coming back,' I might feel awkward, but that would just stress me out. Hyun-min is Hyun-min, and I am me, so I try to focus on my role: bunting to advance runners, hitting sacrifice flies, and so on."

While there may still be shortcomings in terms of power hitting compared to Ahn Hyun-min, what is certain is that he is minimizing the gap with batting performance that exceeds expectations.

One reason for this is that he found answers in a special conversation with veteran pitcher Woo Kyu-min (41). Kim Min-hyeok said, "I don't understand why I'm getting hits," but added, "I had many conversations with senior Woo Kyu-min about the psychology of pitchers and batters regarding ball counts, and I think that was very helpful."

He explained, "Before, I was looking for fastballs on the first pitch, and if I missed, I felt very anxious. I kept thinking, 'They won't throw that kind of pitch again.' But after having many conversations with senior Woo Kyu-min from the pitcher's perspective—such as 'Pitchers try to throw strikes on the first pitch, and if they get a strike, they try to throw a similar pitch slightly lower on the second pitch'—I felt more at ease in the battle of ball counts. As I felt more relaxed at the plate, I started to swing freely rather than trying to make contact, and I think that was effective."

Because he has a style of aggressively targeting the first pitch, the results have led to mixed reactions. Kim Min-hyeok said, "I was under a lot of stress. I am an aggressive batter, and I could feel too strongly that if I got out on the first pitch, the team's morale would drop, so I hesitated a lot at the plate. I kept asking myself, 'Can I keep swinging? Can I really swing here?' But after having those conversations and considering the pitchers' psychology, I felt more at ease."

Until he turned 30, this was a part of his game he had never thought much about. He only thought about himself and sought answers within that narrow scope. However, through conversations with veteran pitchers, he gained a new perspective, and the solution began to unfold.

Kim Min-hyeok said, "My concerns about the first pitch have continued for several years. The manager and batting coach have told me to hit the first pitch comfortably without thinking, and if I were younger, I would have done so without thinking. But now, as I think about the team's atmosphere and the game situation, I have been under stress on my own." He added, "I really disliked the nickname 'First-pitch hitter.' I am an aggressive batter, but waiting was so stressful. After having those conversations, I realized, 'Ah, pitchers think this way.' Although it's not complete yet, I am trying to think that way at the plate."

As a result, he is currently recording the highest batting average since his debut. Kim Min-hyeok said, "It's easier when results come out. Even if I feel good, if the results don't follow, I can think, 'Why am I not getting hits?' I might not even know if I'm really playing well right now, but since the results are coming out, I feel like I'm proving the results, which makes me feel good. It's a bit of a conscious state."

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*This content was translated by AI.