'A catcher emerges after 37 years of waiting' — But it offered no comfort to Hanwha's 'P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P' fans

*This content was translated by AI.

A 20-home-run catcher was born in the Eagle corps for the first time in 37 years. However, with the team now on a 10-game losing streak, it offered no comfort whatsoever to Hanwha Eagles fans.

On the 25th, Hanwha lost 7-8 to the NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League road game.

Now on a 10-game losing streak, Hanwha has recorded 54 wins, 75 losses, and 4 ties. The ninth-place Hanwha trail the eighth-place SSG Landers by four games.

Hanwha surrendered control of the game early from the first inning. Starting pitcher Owen White collapsed, allowing seven hits and two walks while surrendering seven runs (six earned) on just 44 pitches in the first inning alone. He was eventually pulled at the start of the second inning, and Hanwha activated its bullpen from the bottom of the second.

With the team trailing 0-8, Kang Baek-ho (his 33rd home run of the season) hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to break the lineup's silence. In the sixth inning, an even more significant record was set. Heo In-seo (23), leading off, connected with pitcher Chang-mo's curveball and launched a solo shot to left-center field.

His 20th home run of the season. This marks the first time an Eagles catcher has hit 20 home runs since Yoo Seung-an's 21 in 1989 — a record achieved after 37 years. It was a single swing that announced the arrival of the power-hitting catcher the Hanwha organization had long awaited.

Heo In-seo, selected by Hanwha with the 11th pick in the second round of the 2022 rookie draft, spent his first season before promptly enlisting in the military service (Army) and fulfilled his mandatory duty this season. He finally received significant playing opportunities this year.

Taking advantage of Choi Jae-hoon's struggles since joining Hanwha in 2017 to maintain his position as the team's primary catcher, Heo In-seo immediately seized his chance and swiftly signaled a generational shift for Hanwha catchers.

In 119 games this season, he has batted .291 (378 at-bats, 110 hits) with 20 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 58 runs scored. His on-base percentage stands at .355, slugging percentage at .495, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) at .850, establishing himself as one of the league's premier catchers.

Furthermore, by recording a symbolic 20-home-run season — especially for a catcher — he has secured a clear advantage in the Rookie of the Year race.

However, it offered little comfort to Hanwha fans. Even after Heo In-seo's home run, Hanwha continued trailing by five runs until the bottom of the ninth, when they mounted a comeback attempt. Starting with Jeong Eun-won's hit, followed by pinch-hitter Jang Gyu-hyun's walk, Kwon Kwang-min's RBI double, Choi Won-jun's RBI groundout, and Han Ji-yoon's sacrifice fly, they chipped away at the deficit. With two outs and a runner on second base, Heo In-seo hit an RBI single to narrow the gap to 7-8, one run behind. Kim Tae-yeon's hit then created a bases-loaded opportunity, but Park Jung-hyun struck out, ultimately leaving Hanwha fans with only false hope before ending their season on a 10-game losing streak.

Hanwha held fifth place until July 3, but since then has plummeted rapidly. After six consecutive losses in August and nine in September, the team now faces its longest losing streak of the season — 10 games.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.