"I was so frustrated..." Noh Si-hwan disappears every 5th inning; the secret to his '4-game consecutive home run' lies in the 'magic bat'

*This content was translated by AI.

Four consecutive home runs. This is the first time in Noh Si-hwan's (26, Hanwha Eagles) career. With the team's batting lineup showing some signs of slowing down, his explosive performance is even more precious. There was a special secret behind this performance.

On the 26th, Noh Si-hwan started as the third baseman and fourth hitter in the home game against Hanwha Eagles at Incheon SSG Landers Field in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League. He recorded three hits, including a two-run home run in the top of the 6th inning when the team was leading 2-1.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, with the team leading 2-1, two outs, and a runner on second base, Noh Si-hwan did not miss a 149 km/h fastball from Thomas Hatch after a full-count battle. The ball he hit hard flew deep into the center of SSG Landers Field, becoming a 125-meter two-run home run.

This marks Noh Si-hwan's first career four-game consecutive home run, following home runs hit in all three home games against Doosan Bears since the 23rd. While he had hit three consecutive home runs four times before, this is the first time he has hit four consecutive home runs.

He has now hit his 14th home run of the season, placing him within the top 10 in this category. At Hanwha, he is trailing behind Kang Baek-ho (18 home runs) and Peraza (16 home runs).

After the game, Noh Si-hwan said, "I didn't know it was my first time in my career, but people around me kept telling me I had hit three consecutive home runs, so I was aware of it." He added, "I don't think the consecutive home run record means much, but I'm just really happy that I hit a home run today as well."

He continued, "I tried to fight persistently. Since first base was empty, I thought good pitches wouldn't come, so I worked the count well to induce a mistake pitch, and I think I attacked it well."

Noh Si-hwan said, "When home runs start coming out in multiples, you get a feel for it. So there are times when you go on a hot streak, and I think I've entered that period now." He added, "I don't want to lose that feel, so I'm doing exactly what I've always done. I'm sticking to my routine every day. I plan to do the same tomorrow."

Noh Si-hwan's performance in the last four games has been concentrated mainly in the later innings of games. This might not be a coincidence. The incident was triggered by a strikeout he suffered in the 5th inning of the game on the 23rd. Although he hit a home run against Takada in the 2nd inning, the strikeout in the 5th inning became the turning point.

Noh Si-hwan explained, "At first, I was so frustrated. I thought I had to get a feel for it during the game, so I decided to go to the cage and hit the bat in the 5th inning. But there was Senior Choi Jae-hoon there, and I hit with his bat, and I hit a walk-off hit that day. So I've been continuing that ever since."

In the three games that followed, he went to the batting practice area every time the 5th inning arrived. On the 24th, he hit a home run in the 7th inning; on the 25th, in the 6th inning; and today, again in the 6th inning. What's remarkable is that in all three of these games, he had no hits in the at-bats preceding the home runs.

Although his physique and batting style are different, making the weight and feel of the bat completely different, the routine he started by chance became a lucky charm for Noh Si-hwan. Noh Si-hwan said, "I have to hit with Senior Jae-hoon's bat no matter what. I came on an away game today, and usually, there's no indoor practice facility on away games, but there is one here." He added, "Senior Jae-hoon was hitting the bat in the 5th inning, so I thought, 'I can't stay here, I have to go,' and I went and hit again. Right after that at-bat, I hit a home run. It gave me goosebumps. It feels completely different from my bat. But somehow, practicing with it felt good. Senior Jae-hoon even joked, 'You're hitting so well that I can't hit it. You've taken all the energy from my bat.'"

This shows how much he desired it. Noh Si-hwan, who won the batting double crown in 2023 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs, struggled in 2024 with 24 home runs but rebounded last year with 32 home runs and 101 RBIs. Ahead of this season, he signed a multi-year non-FA contract worth 30.7 billion won over 11 years, the highest amount in KBO history. The burden was heavier because Hanwha spent too much money on Noh Si-hwan and Kang Baek-ho (4 years, 10 billion won), making it impossible to prevent the departure of key bullpen relievers, leading to significant ups and downs in the early part of the season.

Until April, he was struggling with a batting average in the 10s, and while it seemed he had made a perfect rebound in May with a .317 batting average, 7 home runs, and 25 RBIs, he slipped again in June, finishing with a .243 batting average and only 2 home runs.

Moreover, with the momentum of Yonatan Peraza, Moon Hyun-bin, and Kang Baek-ho, who had been swinging the bat poorly until the middle of the season, somewhat waning, Noh Si-hwan's recent rebound is even more welcome.

Noh Si-hwan also said, "I feel like my batting feel has improved a bit recently. Now it's a battle against pitchers. I'm trying to get favorable counts first. By taking walks and not missing mistake pitches when they come in favorable counts, I'm hitting home runs like this, and I hope I can maintain this for a long time."

He is well aware of the expectations placed on him. "In the beginning, when other batters were hitting well, I couldn't perform. So I felt very sorry. Now, when the team is in trouble, I have a role to play," he said. "If we all get into a good cycle, I think we can hit well enough. The team hit well today, and I expect the Dynamite lineup to start again from tomorrow."

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*This content was translated by AI.