"Lee Ho-yeon as the leadoff hitter?" Manager Lee Kang-cheol was taken aback. Why did he sigh at the appearance of his former student with a .256 batting average? [Gwangju Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Lee Ho-yeon as the leadoff hitter?"

Upon hearing the opposing team's starting lineup, KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) was startled. It wasn't because he was surprised by Lee Ho-yeon (31, KIA Tigers)'s season batting average of .256. Rather, it was more awkward precisely because he knew him too well as a former student.

On the 6th, ahead of their home game against KT at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, KIA announced its starting lineup.

That day, KIA set its starting lineup with Lee Ho-yeon (second baseman), Park Jae-hyun (left fielder), Kim Do-young (third baseman), Harold Castro (first baseman), Na Sung-beom (right fielder), Kim Sun-bin (designated hitter), Kim Ho-ryeong (center fielder), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Ha Joo-seok (shortstop). The starting pitcher was James Nail.

Originally, the table-setters were arranged with Park Jae-hyun leading off followed by Lee Ho-yeon, but their batting order was swapped just before the game. This change came after Park Jae-hyun told KIA manager Lee Beom-ho during training, "I'm confident even at the second spot." The manager considered both players' recent hitting form and the need for a mood shift, ultimately moving Lee Ho-yeon to the leadoff position.

Looking solely at Lee Ho-yeon's performance this season, he might seem like an unconventional leadoff option. In 17 games, he has a .256 batting average (39 at-bats, 10 hits), one home run, eight RBIs, and an OPS of 0.844. However, his recent trend is different. Over the last 10 games, he has posted a .318 batting average (22 at-bats, 7 hits). On the 25th in Gwangju against Lotte, he even hit a walk-off bases-loaded home run in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and the bases loaded.

Upon hearing this news, it was none other than the opposing manager, Lee Kang-cheol, who was startled. He then recalled Lee Ho-yeon's signature power surge. Manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "Ho-yeon has moments where he hits exceptionally well, maybe once or twice a year. There are periods like that two or three times annually." He added, "When those times come, he really hits well. It seems this is his period right now," bursting into hearty laughter.

Manager Lee Kang-cheol knows the batting cycle of his former student better than anyone. Lee Ho-yeon was traded from Lotte Giants to KT in May 2023 via a one-on-one trade with Shim Jae-min. Over the following three seasons, he played as an infield backup for KT, appearing in 144 games with a .276 batting average (323 at-bats, 89 hits), four home runs, 25 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.686.

Despite seemingly ordinary statistics, he left a significant impact. In his first year with KT in July 2023, he recorded a .357 batting average (28 at-bats, 10 hits) over 13 games, bolstering the team's upward momentum. Even in 2025, he delivered valuable contributions in limited opportunities, hitting .343 (70 at-bats, 24 hits) across 32 games.

After joining KIA following last season's second draft, he became an opponent to the manager. This led to an unexpected aftereffect for Manager Lee Kang-cheol. He remarked, "Now that I've experienced trades, I think we should give up pitchers but avoid giving up position players whenever possible."

What started as a joke had a very practical reason behind it. Manager Lee Kang-cheol explained, "In a typical three-game series, a starting pitcher appears once, and relievers might pitch for about two days at most. But position players play every day." He continued with a wry laugh, "I know exactly how the traded player hits, but from the opposing team's perspective, having to watch him every day is driving me crazy. He plays all three days of the series."

The longer a player has been with a team, the more accurately their strengths and weaknesses are known, making them even more concerning when facing them as an opponent. KT has actively utilized trades to secure necessary roster pieces over the years. They have successfully integrated externally acquired players such as Shin Bon-gi, Jo Yong-ho, Kim Jun-tae, Oh Yun-seok, and Lee Ho-yeon into appropriate roles, achieving tangible results.

Consequently, encounters with former players who have left have become more frequent. Recently, Kang Baek-ho and Sim Woo-jun have been among those facing their former team. The manager admitted, "If we brought them in because they were needed, we must use them," but also shared his honest feelings: "Position players face us every day, so it's different. It is indeed scary to meet them as opponents on another team."

When players who perform exceptionally well against their former teams are added to the mix, it naturally causes even more concern for a manager. Especially in Lee Ho-yeon's case, he is an oddly tricky opponent to face precisely because his manager knows exactly when he hits well and when his batting form peaks.

Coincidentally, on this day, riding on a batting average above .300 over his last 10 games, Lee Ho-yeon secured the unfamiliar leadoff spot against KT. While it was a leadoff card for manager Lee Beom-ho to help players shift their mood, it became an especially worrying name for Manager Lee Kang-cheol.

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*This content was translated by AI.