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“It’s because I swung wildly…”

KIA was hit by a storm at the end of May. Many of its main players were sent to the second team. Closer Jung Hae-young, left-handed sidearm Kim Dae-yu, and first baseman Hwang Dae-in still haven’t returned to the first team. Coach Kim Jong-guk’s idea is to bring them back to the first team only after they show a clear turnaround in the second team.

In that regard, Byun Woo-hyuk, the 23-year-old “transfer prospect,” has had a bit of luck. He was batting .212 with three home runs and four RBIs when Hwang Dae-in was expunged from the first team. However, neither Hwang nor his replacement, Kim Seok-hwan, were sent down to the second team after a brief stint in the first team.안전놀이터

Currently, KIA’s starting first baseman is the returning Choi Won-jun. Byun Woo-hyuk has been the backup first baseman since sometime. Kim Sun-bin, who has a suspected fractured right thumb, could be out for a long time in the worst case scenario. However, Kim Kyu-sung and Choi Jeong-yong can fill in. In the long run, the team could switch to a Kim Do-young-2B Park Chan-ho system once Kim returns.

Byun Woo-hyuk started at third base for the first time in a long time against Gwangju NC on the 18th. However, Ryu Ji-hyeok suffered a simple bruise in the game on the 17th and was rested on the 18th, but will likely return to the starting third base for the three-game series against Hanwha starting on the 20th.

This means that Byun Woo-hyuk is unlikely to see consistent at-bats for the foreseeable future. Of course, Byun Woo-hyuk has had his chances, but he has tended to struggle alongside Hwang Dae-in.

However, coach Kim Jong-guk continues to keep Byun Woo-hyuk with the first team. According to SBS Sports commentator Lee Soon-cheol, who broadcast the Gwangju KIA-NC game on April 16-18, it is clear why KIA values Byun Woo-hyuk so highly. You might think that Byun Woo-hyuk is too much of a talent to keep in the second team.

In reality, Byun Woo-hyuk has been hitting well lately despite his irregular playing time. In his last 10 games, he’s 9-for-21 with a .429 batting average, one home run, three doubles, and four RBIs. This has raised his season batting average to .232. In 43 games this season, he has five home runs, 17 RBIs, 13 runs scored, and a .685 OPS.

In Game 16, Byun came in as a pinch-hitter and swiped a changeup from left-hander Lim Jung-ho for a leadoff double, and in Game 18, he pulled a slider from right-hander Song Myung-ki for a solo shot to left. Commentator Lee Soon-cheol, who watched Byun Woo-hyuk hit, saw potential. “He swings with a batting stance,” he said.

Specifically, Lee said, “Sometimes young hitters don’t use their lower body, and their upper and lower bodies play separately. Byun Woo-hyuk swings wildly, so he doesn’t play separately. He swings with a good posture. He uses his lower body well. You have to remember this batting stance and swing without distraction.”

In other words, he had the foundation to make his own swing. The problem was that he couldn’t play consistently. “His operational skills at the plate are not yet refined, and he needs to improve them as he continues to play, which can take a lot of time if he is used as he is now,” said Lee.

He continued, “If you look at the American Education League, even if a young player strikes out on a false swing, they keep him out there to get the hang of it. However, it is very difficult for KIA to give Byun Woo-hyuk that time because of the team situation, so there are bound to be ups and downs. You can only perfect your swing if you play consistently.”

In fact, the only way to get consistent playing time is to go to the second team. However, the reality is that Byun Woo-hyuk can’t just go to the second team right away and play consistently. In the second team, Hwang Dae-in and Kim Seok-hwan also need to make adjustments.

That’s why it’s important for Byun to show a decent batting pace at this point. It’s clear that Byun Woo-hyuk has the potential to be a big hitter, and his quality has been confirmed recently. It remains to be seen at what point coach Kim Jong-kook will give Byun a chance to play consistently, as he holds the final key to unlocking his potential.