Byeon Woo-hyuk (KIA Tigers), a “big shot prospect” who has been receiving opportunities for more than a month, is maintaining a good trend in the second half of the year.
As of Tuesday, Byun is recording a batting average of 0.291, three homers, 10 RBIs and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.808 with 30 hits in 103 at-bats in 38 games. In terms of his performance in the last 10 games, he has posted a batting average of 0.370 with two homers and five RBIs in 27 times at bat.
Byun, who started the season in the second division, did not perform well until mid-June. As outstanding fielders such as Kim Do-young, Park Chan-ho, and Kim Sun-bin and Lee Woo-sung were holding out, it was not easy even to call up the first division. However, as Lee Woo-sung suffered a hamstring injury in late June, he needed to strengthen his infield resources, and Byun had an opportunity.
Byun Woo-hyuk displayed impressive batting performance by garnering three hits in the match against the Samsung Lions in Gwangju on April 18. He continued his five-game hitting streak from the game against the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on April 28 to the game against the Hanwha Eagles in Daejeon on August 2. He also played his part in defense, minimizing Lee’s absence.
“I think (Byeon) Woo-hyuk was a talented player, but I don’t think he had any greed,” KIA manager Lee Bum-ho said. “I told (players) to keep being greedy. I definitely feel more relaxed now that I have played around 100 at-bats compared to the beginning,” he said. “In case of defense, I am stable in some aspects as I have always seen him play well. I hope he continues to do well.” 메이저사이트
In an interview last month, Byun Woo-hyuk expressed the burden of competition. “I should have thought of making it one by one because I don’t have much experience yet and I’m still young (within the team), but it was a vicious cycle because I tried to produce results right away when I wasn’t ready,” he said. “Don’t everyone know that our team’s competition for first base is fierce. I should have tried and tried like last year because I still have so much to do, but I think I was only focused on the word competition.”
However, Byun did not get frustrated and got back on his feet and made up for a little bit of disappointment in the early days of the season. Not only players but also the team are glad to see Byun’s performance. It is true that Byun’s performance helped ease both the batters and the defense.
However, the head coach explained that not rushing to call out Lee Woo-sung has nothing to do with Byun Woo-hyuk’s condition. “I think (Lee) hurt his hamstring and he can see the outfield. When he receives a report that his physical condition has risen perfectly, he has to raise Woo-sung, but (the player) seems to be afraid of something yet. It’s a sensitive area, but if he says it’s bad again, the season can end as it is,” coach Lee warned.
“First of all, Woo Hyuk is doing well, so it’s most important to come back perfectly. It’s a situation where blood is drying up, but I think the coaching staff should move with a clear framework in that area,” he added.
