"What if I can't play until the end of the season?" Even Moon Bo-kyung, a hero of the WBC, felt fear. Letting go of the burden of batting fourth led to a .394 average... The journey begins now [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I thought, 'What if I can't play until the end of the season?'"

Just half a year ago, Moon Bo-kyung (26, LG Twins) had emerged as Korea's savior on the global stage, yet even he feared a prolonged slump. Although statistics show he has already rebounded, the player himself does not yet feel fully recovered.

On the 2nd, Moon Bo-kyung started at third base and batted fifth in the visiting game against Doosan Bears at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season. He recorded one hit in four at-bats with two RBIs and one run scored, contributing to LG's 5-1 victory.

He immediately took on the role of savior from his first at-bat. In the top of the first inning with no outs and runners on second and third bases while tied 0-0, Moon hit a two-run double to left-center field off Doosan starter Choi Seung-yong. LG added another two-run single by Park Dong-won, scoring four runs in the first inning alone and seizing control of the game.

This year brought an unusually heavy load for Moon Bo-kyung. In March's 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), he was a hero. In the Round 1 match against Australia, he hit a leadoff two-run home run and drove in four runs total, helping Korea advance to the second round (quarterfinals) for the first time in 17 years. His 11 RBIs in Round 1 tied the record set by Kim Tae-gyun in 2006 as the most RBIs by a Korean player in a single WBC tournament.

However, during the tournament, he collided with a fence while playing defense and injured his back, preventing him from participating in defensive plays for some time after the regular season began. Nevertheless, he maintained strong momentum through April with a .311 batting average (28 hits in 90 at-bats) and was selected as one of three wild-card players for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games representative team.

The true trial came in June. After an ankle injury, his batting balance collapsed. His batting average dropped to .194 (14 hits in 72 at-bats) in June and remained at .192 (14 hits in 73 at-bats) in July. Moon reflected, "Personally, my balance was disrupted due to the ankle injury. My base foot should have been stable, but it collapsed, preventing me from transferring power effectively."

Video analysis showed no significant changes, yet his feel at the plate was completely different. Moon explained, "It felt like I was hitting just as well as last year or early this year, but I couldn't generate power. Even in practice batting, home runs used to come easily, but now they don't, so I realized I wasn't transferring power properly."

Frustrated, he even stayed late after games for extra hitting sessions. Moon calmly stated, "Even if it's physically tough, I can't continue like this until the end of the season, so my priority is to regain form as quickly as possible."

Recently, his statistical rebound has become clear. In 17 games in August, he hit .333 (15 hits in 45 at-bats), and over his last 10 games, he posted a .394 average (13 hits in 33 at-bats). Still, Moon drew a line: "Rather than saying I've found my hitting form, it's more accurate to say I'm getting better. I don't have the same confidence as when I was performing exceptionally well. Every day, I start games with some doubt."

This frustration also appeared in his gameplay. Against Jack Log on the previous day (the 1st), he even attempted a surprise bunt on the first pitch—a move he couldn't easily make during his days as a fixed fourth-order hitter.

Moon admitted, "When I was batting fourth, bunting made me look weak in terms of image, so I hesitated. Now that my spot in the lineup has dropped, I feel more at ease and try such plays while observing the opposing defense's positioning." He offered an awkward smile.

Letting go of the fourth spot actually helped his rebound. Currently, Song Chan-ui and Moon Jung-bin are demonstrating power-hitting capabilities in LG's core lineup. Moon said, "I feel fortunate that (Song) Chan is hitting fourth. The fourth spot isn't entirely free of pressure. When I'm not hitting well, there are many opportunities to drive in runs, creating a sense of being chased by the need to hit them no matter what. As that pressure lessened, my results have improved slightly."

When asked if he wanted to return to batting fourth, his answer was firm. Moon stated decisively, "I don't want to. I have no desire for a specific spot in the lineup. I'll just hit according to wherever I'm placed."

Moon will participate in games until the 14th before joining the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games representative team, leaving his club for about two weeks. LG is also engaged in a fierce standings battle, making the remaining time even more critical.

At one point, he feared he might never regain his pre-injury form. However, Moon now accepts even this prolonged slump as an asset. He emphasized, "It's fortunate that the slump came early in my young career. If it had happened later when I was older, finding a breakthrough would have been much harder. This is also an experience. When similar situations arise in the future, perhaps I can escape them faster than now."

He continued, "Somehow, my performance improved ahead of the Asian Games, which made me worry, 'What if I can't play until the end of the season?' Still, it's fortunate that I haven't been unable to play continuously until the season ends. It's a bit late, but since we're in the midst of a fierce standings race now, I must perform well from this point forward."

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*This content was translated by AI.