"30 home runs? That's out of the question." An Hyun-min, after two months of absence, sets a realistic goal of "20 home runs" for the monster

*This content was translated by AI.

An Hyun-min (23, KT Wiz), who had been suffering from post-return struggles, awakened his power-hitting instincts. With his second career bases-loaded home run and 7 RBIs, he shattered his personal records and hinted at a terrifying performance for the remainder of the season.

On the 23rd, An Hyun-min started as the designated hitter in the third spot for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against SSG Landers at Suwon KT Wiz Park. He led his team to a 13-2 landslide victory with a powerful performance of 3-for-3, including 2 hits, 1 walk, and 7 RBIs, featuring a bases-loaded home run.

After graduating from Masan High School, An Hyun-min joined KT in the 2022 rookie draft as a second-round, fourth-rounder pick. He enlisted in the military as an active-duty soldier and was discharged in 2024, after which he posted monster-like results last year. In 112 games, he batted .334 with 22 home runs and 80 RBIs, posting an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.018, earning both the Rookie of the Year award and the Outfielder's Golden Glove.

Ahead of this season, An Hyun-min participated in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), where he hit .333 (15-for-5) with an on-base percentage of .444, a slugging percentage of .400, and an OPS of .844 across 5 games. He maintained his hot hitting form at the start of the season, but an injury held him back.

An Hyun-min, who sat out for two months due to a hamstring injury, returned on the 16th and is still showcasing his hot hitting form with a .381 batting average (8-for-21). Although he had no extra-base hits, he hit a bases-loaded home run that day, erasing all lingering regrets.

With the team trailing 0-2, An Hyun-min drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom of the second inning with no outs and runners on first and third. The team then successfully took the lead thanks to Sam Hilliard's two-run home run.

In the bottom of the fourth inning with one out and a runner on second, An Hyun-min reached base via a walk. This extended his consecutive games reaching base streak, which had been ongoing since the August 30 game against Suwon KIA Tigers, to 40 games.

This is also the team's all-time record. The previous record was held by Kang Baek-ho (Hanwha Eagles) during his time with KT, who recorded 37 consecutive games reaching base from the April 7 game against Suwon LG Twins in 2021. An Hyun-min is now extending his own record.

With no outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning, An Hyun-min came to the plate and hit a two-run single to left field. In the bottom of the seventh, he sealed the game. Opposing pitcher Shin Sang-yeon showed control issues, issuing four walks and allowing one run on a bases-loaded walk. Then, with two outs and bases loaded, An Hyun-min hit a low-falling curveball for a 118.4-meter home run to left field, a grand slam. This was his second career bases-loaded home run and his first extra-base hit since returning from injury on the 16th, achieved in his seventh game back.

With 7 RBIs, An Hyun-min also set a new personal record for most RBIs in a single game. The previous record was 5 RBIs, set on May 29 against Suwon Doosan and on June 12 against Suwon Lotte last year.

Manager Lee Kang-cheol praised An Hyun-min's rising hitting form, but An Hyun-min was not easily satisfied. After the game, he said, "The manager said I'm hitting well, but I think I still have a bit further to go. I feel like I'm gradually getting the swing I want. I felt like I had a better swing today than last weekend's game, but I think I'm still in the process of improving. I can't say I've fully returned to my pre-injury performance yet, but I feel like I'm getting close to it."

An Hyun-min was on a 30-home run pace before his two-month absence. Including today's home run, even if he plays in all remaining games, he is on a 17-home run pace. To reach 20 home runs, he must raise his pace.

An Hyun-min has also set 20 home runs as his goal. "Since returning, I've done the math myself. I jokingly thought, 'If I hit one every two games, I could reach 30,' but now that I'm back and facing reality, it seems impossible," he said. "Sam Hilliard is showing such a great home run pace right now. It's not that I'm being greedy, but I think focusing on 20 home runs is the best approach. If I can hit 20, the team can accumulate many more wins. I'm not hitting just to hit, but I think I should be able to hit around 20 to be more helpful to the team," he expressed his determination.

Participating in the WBC before the season was a great help. Usually, players who have a dazzling debut season often suffer from the "second-year jinx," but An Hyun-min said, "I think it's more of an issue that lower-year or young players face. When the off-season comes and the gap becomes long, anxiety sets in. However, by going to the WBC, I was able to get into game situations faster and eliminate that anxiety." He added, "But eventually, due to injury, another two-month gap came again, and I felt the same way. I was very anxious about whether I could deliver the results fans wanted, but as I started playing again, the anxiety is slowly disappearing, so I think this is a good process."

It was An Hyun-min who hit a double against Dominican Republic's Christopher Sanchez (Philadelphia) in the quarterfinals. Sanchez pitched dominantly over 5 innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 8 batters. He is currently dominating this season with 9 wins, 3 losses, and an ERA of 1.80. In particular, he continued a scoreless streak of 50 2/3 innings across 5 games played in May, which is the fifth-longest scoreless inning streak in MLB history.

An Hyun-min laughed and said, "I knew about him from articles, but I heard that MLB pitchers face more batters." He continued, "I think I was just lucky that it happened to me. Actually, the game against the Dominican Republic was really significant for me. Watching the practice process broke many of my preconceived notions. I thought there would be a rougher feel compared to the delicacy typical of South American players, but I found them to be more delicate than expected, which became a great opportunity for preparing for this season."

Manager Lee Kang-cheol indicated that An Hyun-min would be used as a designated hitter until the second half of the season. An Hyun-min said, "Since the gap was long, I had a strong desire to run quickly. Actually, the pain level of a hamstring injury itself tends to decrease over time. However, even when there is no pain, the hamstring itself may not be fully recovered. Since players don't feel pain, they tend to want to run quickly." He added, "But the training staff kept telling me to be careful, so I was able to complete my rehabilitation well so far."

He also took the field defensively in the bottom of the ninth inning today, but he did not have a chance to field a ball. An Hyun-min explained, "The manager sets the lineup, so I just follow it. However, I am continuously doing defensive training and increasing my sprinting and other movements derived from defensive actions. My movements themselves have improved significantly. Although it would be safest after the All-Star break, if the situation comes where I need to play defense, I think I can do it."

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*This content was translated by AI.