*This content was translated by AI.
The manager's bold decision turned into a great success. Sim Woo-jun (31, Hanwha Eagles), batting leadoff for the first time this season, responded to the trust with outstanding results.
Sim Woo-jun started as the leadoff shortstop in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League road game against the KIA Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 22nd, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs and one run scored, including a three-run home run, to propel his team to a 7-3 victory.
Manager Kim Kyung-moon had decided to rest Sim Woo-jun from the starting lineup the previous day. However, he placed him at leadoff today. The decision was unexpected because the previous day's leadoff batter, Oh Jae-won, had four hits and performed brilliantly, while Sim Woo-jun had not started as a leadoff batter this season. This move recognized his strong performance against opposing ace Adam Oller, who had allowed only two RBIs in seven at-bats.
In the first inning, Sim Woo-jun grounded out to the third baseman but capitalized on his opportunity in the second. After Oller lost control with runners on first and second, issuing consecutive walks to Lee Do-yoon and Park Jung-hyun, Sim Woo-jun stepped up to the plate. Facing a 1-2 count after fouling off two pitches and swinging at a slider that went outside the zone, he crushed the third pitch—a slider aimed at the corner of the strike zone—sending it over the left-field wall for a three-run home run.
This was his third home run of the season, coming more than three months after his last one on April 1 against the KT Wiz. In the fourth inning, with runners on first and second, he watched the first pitch go for a strike but did not miss the second changeup, driving it into center field for a hit. He recorded his first multi-hit game in six contests.
Oller, who struggled against Sim Woo-jun again today, was pulled after throwing 92 pitches through five innings, allowing four runs. Riding his momentum, Sim Woo-jun hit an RBI single off reliever Lee Tae-yang in the bottom of the sixth inning, forcing another pitching change.
He becomes stronger whenever he faces Oller. Sim Woo-jun said, "Every batter has pitchers they time well or connect with easily, but I don't think that's my case. However, strangely enough, when I step into the batter's box, Oller's pitches seem to look better to me." He added, "It seems like his pitches just match up well with my bat."
This was the performance Hanwha had hoped for when they signed him four years ago for 5 billion won ahead of last season. However, he struggled last year and has not been considered a central figure in the lineup this season either. Thus, starting as leadoff batter was an outcome even Sim Woo-jun did not expect. He said, "I thought I would be going out to play soon, but since Oh Jae-won or Choi In-ho were doing well at leadoff, I never considered myself for that spot." He continued with a smile, "The manager told me after practice that I'd be batting leadoff, so I just said, 'I'll do my best.' But I did well. I hope the manager is satisfied."
He also received messages from close teammates upon starting as leadoff. "(Park) Chan-ho kept laughing when he saw the lineup after the Suwon KT game was canceled due to rain. When I asked him, 'How should I hit?' he didn't reply," Sim Woo-jun said. "I'll have to check later. (Kang) Baek-ho also video-called me after seeing the lineup. I couldn't answer, but I'm curious what he wanted to say. I'll call him back and let you know."
Starting without a clear answer and grounding out to an infielder in his first at-bat actually helped him let go of pressure. Sim Woo-jun said, "In my first at-bat as the leadoff batter, I thought a lot about 'How should I hit?' But after that first at-bat, even though I was still batting leadoff, I started thinking of myself as not being in that role when stepping into the box. That allowed me to hit more comfortably."
Manager Kim was extremely satisfied. After the game, he said, "I want to praise Sim Woo-jun for leading the offense with three hits and four RBIs, including a three-run home run, as the starting leadoff batter."
He showed no special ambition despite the unexpected start. His home run also came from an unconventional approach. Sim Woo-jun said, "I was trying to hit it to right field, but if I hadn't done that, I probably wouldn't have connected with the slider either. By consistently aiming for right field, I ended up catching the sweeper's path. It happened when I was timing my swing on a fastball."
He swung quickly expecting a fastball, but a slider came in, resulting in an unexpected pulled hit that generated more power, leading to his first home run in over three months. However, it cannot be dismissed as mere luck. These results accumulated to produce a .500 batting average (5-for-10) with five RBIs against Oller this season.
With Kang Baek-ho sidelined due to side pain, Noh Si-hwan struggling defensively due to a finger injury, and Yonatan Peraza replaced during the game because of leg discomfort, plus former captain Chae Eun-seong still not having returned to the first team, the remaining players must strive even harder.
Sim Woo-jun remained calm. "Honestly, by now, it's likely that no player on our team, or perhaps any team, is without an injury. We all have to endure them. I believe we must endure and win through this. Unless our team's record is completely at the bottom, there's still a chance to climb higher. That's why we need to endure," he said.
He added, "If we continue to hold the shortstop position firmly like this, and if Baek-ho returns, I think our situation will improve and our standing in the league will rise."
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*This content was translated by AI.
