The big catcher in charge of the attack... Kang Baek-ho predicts a new concept leadoff
The big catcher in charge of the attack... Kang Baek-ho predicts a new concept leadoff
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Catcher Kang Baek-ho (26, KT Wiz) will realize a combination of batting order and position that was rarely seen in baseball in 2025.토토사이트
KT will assign Kang as the No. 1 hitter. Kang intends to increase his offense power by giving the team's flagship batter at least one more chance. Kang is already serving as the No. 1 hitter at exhibition games.
Kang has played a total of 802 games and 3,440 at-bats for the first team in the KBO League. He has played as the first hitter in a total of 444 times at bat. He has hardly played as the first hitter since his debut season (2018), when he needed to adapt to the professional stage.
The Los Angeles Dodgers in the Major League Baseball (MLB) uses Shohei Ohtani as its No. 1 hitter. Kyle Schwarber, the Philadelphia Phillies who hit more than 45 home runs during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, is also the No. 1 hitter in 149 games during the 2024 season.
According to baseball's conventional wisdom, the No. 1 hitter has good contact ability and quick feet. His main duty was to get on base a lot to open up an opportunity to post RBIs in the central lineup. However, analysts say that the trend is changing after the Dodgers and Philadelphia, the strongest teams in the MLB, have broken common sense.
"I thought it was a good strategy," Kang said of the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, where big guns start as the first batter. "I see a lot of pitchers' pitches and I don't think they use me as the first hitter to increase the number of pitches. I think it would be desirable to hit the ball without throwing it away in my original style." Kang understood that his mission was to produce many long balls through aggressive swings regardless of the ball count.
"I think the best team play is to get on base a lot, make a lot of hits, and make a hit that fits the situation," Kang Baek-ho said again. "As I started the team's offense (as the No. 1 hitter), I think I should become a hitter who puts pressure on the pitcher through active matches."
It is expected that more games will be played as the first hitter and catcher. Kang, who was a catcher in high school, played 169 and two-thirds innings as a catcher in last season (2024) when his framing ability became less important due to the introduction of the automatic pitching decision system (ABS) in the KBO League.
He participated in defensive training as a member of the catcher's team at this year's spring camp. He will take over as a catcher in earnest. When Jang needs a break, he can start as a starting catcher.
It may be a burden to play the first hitter in a defense position, which he is not used to yet. However, Kang said, "When you defend, your body starts to heat up and warm up. It will help you a lot in hitting."
There were also big hitters in the KBO League. Key players are Lee Man-soo and Park Kyung-wan (retired). There were also many leadoffs with good slugging capability. Right now, KT has named Mel Rojas Jr., the home run king of the 2020 season, the most frequent hitter in the 2024 season.
However, it is hard to find a catcher who hits a lot of home runs as the first hitter. Schwarber also joined the team as a catcher, but he started as a designated hitter or outfielder from the 2022 season when he started as the first hitter. Kang Baek-ho, who was called a "genius" even before joining the pro league, is aiming for a new concept leadoff in 2025.