"Even after two-game or three-game losing streaks, we got back up" — KT's new anchor Han Seung-taek on the strength behind the 90th-win KT Wiz

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Han Seung-taek (32), who joined this season and led the team to the Korea Series (KS), identified "the ability to quickly get back up" as the KT Wiz's greatest strength.

In a recent interview with reporters, Han said, "Looking at the overall picture, every team goes through losing streaks. But I think the most important thing is how much you can shorten those streaks." He added, "Even when we went on two-game or three-game losing streaks, from senior player (Jang) Sung-woo to the other veteran players, they kept us in check very well. The younger players followed suit, and while baseball skill matters, it was crucial that we were able to get back up without letting the team's atmosphere sink."

In reality, KT's 2026 season was far from a smooth solo run. After starting with a record of 19 wins and 9 losses in March and April, they went 13-1-11 in May and 11-12 in June, recording the only sub-.500 monthly winning percentage of the season. However, they immediately rebounded with a 14-1-4 record in July, and posted a 17-1-6 record in September even while So Hyoung-jun (25), Oh Won-seok (25), and Park Young-hyun (23) were called up to the Asian Games national team.

Ultimately, KT finished the regular season with a record of 90 wins, 5 draws, and 49 losses, for a .647 winning percentage, advancing directly to the Korea Series for the first time in five years since 2021. The 90 wins set a franchise record for most wins in a single season. Han's explanation was similar. Regarding the slump in May and June, he said, "I don't think there was a particularly different reason; I believe it was just the team's pace. There are times when pitchers are doing well and times when batters are doing well, and those need to align. At that time, the pace of the batters and pitchers did not match."

Conversely, regarding September, when three key pitchers were absent, he said, "It is true that excellent players like (So) Hyoung-jun, (Oh) Won-seok, and (Park) Young-hyun were gone, but there were so many good players behind them. So I think we had the strength to endure."

Han Seung-taek was one of the players who added that "enduring strength" highlighted by Manager Lee Kang-cheol (60). KT signed Han as a free agent in November last year on a four-year contract worth up to 1 billion won. At the time, the deal appeared to be primarily about strengthening the backup catcher position to support Jang Sung-woo (36).

In fact, Han had limited playing time with KIA, appearing in only 20 games in 2024 and 15 games last year. However, this season he played in a whopping 128 games, recording a .234 batting average (73 hits in 312 at-bats), 3 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 40 runs scored. He also recorded 17 sacrifice bunts, fulfilling his role while far surpassing his previous single-season record for games played.

In particular, as Han took on many games behind the plate, Jang Sung-woo's range of use expanded. It became possible for Han to wear the mask and for Jang to play as a designated hitter from the start of the season. In the 64th games KT played through mid-June, Han appeared in 51 games, sharing the burden of the home plate position. The catcher, brought in with expectations for stable defense and a strong arm, established himself not just as a backup but as a player capable of enduring a full 144-game season.

It was also an unfamiliar experience for Han. He said, "This is almost the first time I have started the season and played consistently as a regular. There were many difficult parts, but I think I did well because the manager, coaches, and senior players helped me a lot." He added, "I spent a lot of time in the minor league over the past two years, but this year I played a lot and even won the championship, so I feel twice as good."

Even after hearing that Manager Lee Kang-cheol highly evaluated his contribution, Han simply smiled and said, "I felt very good because it seems the manager recognized my hard work."

This season was also a time for Han to learn about KT, a powerhouse of pitching, as a catcher. Han said, "It was a season where I was coordinating with the pitchers for the first time, and it was also the first time I was adjusting my tendencies with the manager, so it was difficult in the early stages." Instead, he learned what was needed one by one, such as the pitchers' strengths and the recent condition of opposing batters, with the help of Manager Lee's advice and the power analysis team.

Through that process, trust was built with the pitchers. In particular, after collaborating on a complete game win with Go Yeong-pyo (35) recently, Han heard from Go, "I could get the complete game because of you." To this, Han said, "I just worked hard to catch what (Go) Yeong-pyo pitched and watched the batters' timing, so I was grateful that he said that." He then smiled and added, "When I caught Yeong-pyo's changeup directly, I understood why it is so hard to hit."

Now, Han's role becomes even more important in the Korea Series. In short series, the impact on the game grows from analyzing the opposing lineup, leading pitchers, to stopping stolen bases. For Han, who experienced championships with KIA in 2017 and 2024, this Korea Series is a bit different. Unlike before, he played as a key catcher for an entire season and directly helped create the regular season first-place finish.

Han also has no intention of stopping at winning the regular season title. He said, "We must not let our guard down just because we have secured first place. We need to prepare by doing image training on what to do in the Korea Series and talking a lot with the players. The senior players also resolved themselves, saying, 'It is not over yet, so let's prepare hard for the Korea Series again.'"

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original