"No allowance because of Noh Si-hwan": Half the lineup uses "Kang Baek-ho's bat," "You don't have to thank me, just play well" — The dignity of a 10 billion won FA

*This content was translated by AI.

None of the 10th bats recently ordered ended up in the hands of Kang Baek-ho (27, Hanwha Eagles). All were taken by his teammates, yet Kang Baek-ho felt no regret. As long as his juniors perform well, he can simply smile with satisfaction.

On the 27th, during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field, Kang Baek-ho started as the designated hitter in the fourth lineup, hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning and leading his team to an 8-1 decisive victory.

With his 19th home run of the season and three additional RBIs, Kang Baek-ho has already reached 77 RBIs in 71 games, leading the league outright. He is on a pace not only to win the RBI title but also to challenge the KBO single-season record for most RBIs (158), set last year by Lewin Diaz.

Opportunities were laid out from his first at-bat that day. In the top of the first inning, the lineup recorded consecutive doubles to score one run, and with one out and a runner on third, he hit a ground ball toward second base to bring the runner home. In the fifth inning, with his team leading 4-1, he smashed a 143 km/h fastball from Shota Takeda in a 2-0 count, launching a massive two-run home run that soared over the right-field fence with a distance of 135 meters.

Although his batting average over the last 10 games has dropped to 0.237, his feel for the ball is not bad. After the game, Kang Baek-ho said, "I'm a bit disappointed that I'm not hitting the ball well often these days, but I'm trying my best at every moment and working to maintain what's good. My feel has been fluctuating recently, even though it wasn't supposed to be like that. Home runs are coming out even when things aren't going well, and then one comes out just as things start to decline."

He once again emphasized that his RBIs are entirely due to his teammates. Kang Baek-ho said, "My teammates keep creating the opportunities for me to drive in runs. The situation in the first inning, for example, was something the players created for me to capitalize on. It feels like these moments are piling up one after another," expressing his gratitude to his teammates.

Kang Baek-ho was selected as the second overall pick in the second round of the 2018 rookie draft by the KT Wiz, hitting 29 home runs in his debut season to claim the Rookie of the Year award. Since then, he has improved every year, rising for four consecutive seasons, though his career-high in home runs remained at 29. This season, after signing a four-year contract worth up to 10 billion won including options as a free agent, he has already hit nearly 20 home runs in the first half, putting him on track to reach 40.

This is also a figure exceeding expectations for Kang Baek-ho. "I've hit a lot, but in fact, I've rarely played baseball with the intention of hitting home runs. I think I'm learning little by little. I'm learning to create home runs even when my feel isn't good," he said. "Today, my approach worked well. In my first and second at-bats, I studied the pitcher's pitches thoroughly and thought that the previous batters had faced a high ratio of fastballs, so I went in with the intention of hitting a home run. I had two balls, so I thought, 'With a runner on first, I need to hit for extra bases,' and that mindset produced even better results."

What's interesting is that Noh Si-hwan, who has hit home runs in five consecutive games, along with Moon Hyun-bin, Heo In-seo, and Kim Tae-yeon, are all using Kang Baek-ho's bats.

Kang Baek-ho said, "Half of our lineup is using my bats. The bats are all different. They are mine, but I order various styles besides my model. This time, 20 bats with different inches and weights arrived, but not a single one of them is the one I'm using. Players with different styles are using them."

For low-salary players, the cost of ordering new bats every time one breaks can be burdensome. Kang Baek-ho, in particular, uses high-priced bats. Although the specifications vary, the purpose is not to share them but rather for his own use. "My focus changes at every at-bat. Rather than changing my feel, when I switch bats, my swing changes slightly, so I carry different ones, and it seems to suit other players well. Each player has their own preferences," he explained.

Although Kang Baek-ho has invested nearly 30 million won in bats this year alone, he does not regret it. "If they play well, I can give them my bats. It's not difficult," he said. "I'm increasing my RBIs, and the team is winning." Kang Baek-ho added, "I've never been in this situation before, but it feels good when players hit hits using my bats. It's strange," as he smiled.

Especially, Noh Si-hwan, who is in the fifth spot in the lineup right behind fourth hitter Kang Baek-ho and has recently been on a hot streak, is truly benefiting from Kang Baek-ho. Noh is using four of Kang Baek-ho's bats. "Since he earns a higher salary than me, I should probably charge him a bit," he joked. "I can give them to (Moon) Hyun-bin and (Heo) In-seo, but giving so many to Si-hwan has left me with no allowance for the month," he teased.

It's not that one bat is better or worse than another, but the feel is different. Unlike players whose bats break frequently, Kang Baek-ho's bats have never broken. "After I gave one to Si-hwan and he hit a home run with it, he started wanting to use it from then on. I used to say, 'Don't blame the bat; blame the person,' but now he says, 'Even if the person is good, the bat is good, so it's even better.' He said he found his life bat. I was secretly pleased, so I ordered even more," he said.

Along with his confidence, he hopes that as a senior, his juniors will perform well so that the entire team lineup can achieve synergy. Kang Baek-ho said, "I can hit well with any bat, so it doesn't matter. I hope my juniors hit well. Of course, I'll keep some for myself," and added, "You don't have to thank me."

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*This content was translated by AI.