"It may be presumptuous, but please continue to cheer for us next year as well": The tearful, heartfelt letter of self-reflection from the 23rd-year-old Rookie of the Year, who will once again don the national team uniform and head to Tokyo

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"It may be presumptuous, but please continue to support us next year just as you did this year."

An Hyun-min (23), a former Rookie of the Year for the KT Wiz, left a long letter to fans after finishing his first-ever Korea Series with a runner-up finish, shedding tears. Although he achieved sufficiently good results despite an injury, his self-blame and sense of apology were greater because he felt he had not been able to help the team win the championship.

On the 10th, An Hyun-min opened on his personal social media by saying, "I sincerely thank you for your support throughout the 2026 season. It was a year when I could feel the passionate cheering of KT fans more than ever before."

He continued, "The dream we had been building together since before the start of the season was right in front of us, which makes me feel even more guilty. During the time preparing for games, I really wanted to perform well and wanted to be as helpful as possible to the team's championship. However, I did not meet expectations and could not contribute to the team's victories," bowing his head in apology.

This year was a season of unusually high expectations for An Hyun-min. Last year, he played brilliantly with a .334 batting average, 22 home runs, 80 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.018 in 112 games, simultaneously winning the Rookie of the Year award and the Golden Glove in the outfielder category. He ranked second in batting average and first in on-base percentage, and was selected for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team in March last year, emerging as a young powerhouse hitter representing Korean baseball.

This year also started smoothly, with a .365 batting average, 3 home runs, and 11 RBIs in the first 14 games after the opening. However, he injured his right hamstring while running the bases against the NC Dinos on April 15, and did not return until June 16, 62 days later. Even so, he recorded a .298 batting average (97 hits in 326 at-bats), 14 home runs, 63 RBIs, a .441 on-base percentage, and an OPS of 0.947 in 94 regular season games. Considering the nearly two-month absence, it was a sufficiently impressive achievement. KT also reached first place in the regular season with their first-ever 90 wins since founding.

An Hyun-min had high expectations ahead of his first Korea Series. He stated, "Our fans' passion is superior to anyone else's," expressing pride in KT's home fans, and contributed to an 8-7 victory in Game 1 by hitting a two-run home run to left field against Choi Won-tae.

However, the momentum afterward differed from expectations. He managed only one hit in 13 at-bats in Games 2 through 4, and in Game 4, he failed to properly handle a fly ball to right fielder Kim Do-hwan's direction, allowing three runs. The official record was a two-run double with 3 RBIs, but for An Hyun-min, it was a defensive error that would be difficult to forget.

Ultimately, in Game 5, he was excluded from the starting lineup and did not appear as a pinch hitter either. His final Korea Series statistics were a .133 batting average (2 hits in 15 at-bats), 1 home run, and 2 RBIs in 4 games. KT also lost to Samsung with a record of 1 win and 4 losses, settling for second place.

An Hyun-min, met after the game on the 8th, could not stop his tears. He blamed himself for the defensive error, saying, "There was no sunlight. I just missed it." When asked about his potential for future growth, he could not continue speaking for a while. Then, he candidly shared his feelings, saying, "After the game ended, I felt a strong sense of self-deprecation more than I expected. I don't know how long it will take me to get over that emotion."

Two days later, An Hyun-min conveyed his resolve to fans again. On social media, he stated, "My skills were lacking, and it was a season that left me with great regret and a strong sense of responsibility," while adding, "I will leave the frustration and regret behind as of yesterday, and from today, I will move forward toward next year again. I will prepare more thoroughly and practice more because of my shortcomings."

He also promised, "Next year, I will definitely become a player who contributes to the team's championship. Next year, I will do my best so that only beauty remains in the dream we share together."

Another stage awaits An Hyun-min to shake off his regrets. An Hyun-min was selected for the national team for the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) to be held at Tokyo Dome in Japan from the 12th to the 15th. He joined the national team in Japan on this day along with Samsung's Kim Ji-chan (25) and Lee Jae-hyun (23), who had played in the Korea Series together.

National team manager Choi Won-ho (53) stated that he would check the physical condition of the three players after their arrival to decide on their participation. South Korea will face Australia on the 12th, Japan on the 13th, and Taiwan on the 14th in sequence. An Hyun-min, whose selection for the Asian Games national team had fallen through due to a hamstring injury last June, is set to don the national team uniform again at this APBC and shake off his past regrets on the international stage.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original