From Underdog to Unstoppable: The Jaw-Dropping Transformation of Hanwha’s Hitting Sensation
Hanwha Eagles’ Kwon Kwang-min: The Surprise .400 Hitter
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<img src="https://thumbnews.nateimg.co.kr/view610///news.nateimg.co.kr/orgImg/pt/2024/09/21/20240920232277863866ed9ca170b67.jpg” alt=”Hanwha’s Kwon Kwang-min celebrates after hitting a two-run home run” class=”viewphoto up” />
A .400 hitter has made a surprise appearance in the professional baseball team Hanwha Eagles. Overseas-based left-handed pitching and hitting outfielder Kwon Kwang-min (27) is showing off his strong presence, bringing a shower of rain to the Hanwha outfield.
Since his call-up to the first team on the 3rd, Kwon Kwang-min has been on a tear with a batting average of .433 (13 hits in 30 at-bats) in 12 games, 4 home runs, 9 RBIs, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts, an on-base percentage of .485, a slugging percentage of .933, and an OPS of 1.418. Although it is a small sample, he is leading the Hanwha batting lineup, which has lost some of its momentum, with his incredible hitting.
Kwon Kwang-min, who recorded his first hit of the season with a two-run home run in the top of the 9th inning in the LG game at Jamsil on the 7th, also hit a solo home run over the top of the 11th in the Samsung game in Daejeon. Both home runs came in situations where the score was wide and did not receive much attention, but he did not miss out on the limited opportunity.
Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon said on the 12th about Kwon Kwang-min, “He hasn’t had many at-bats yet, but I’m getting a good impression of him. He has good hitting ability. He hit two home runs in a short outing, but it’s not something to take lightly. He has something. I’m watching him closely.”
On the 14th, Kwon Kwang-min, who made his first start of the season as the 9th batter in the Lotte game at Sajik, went 3 hits in 4 at-bats, including 2 doubles. The next day, Kwon Kwang-min moved up to 2nd in the Lotte game and continued his momentum with 3 hits, 1 home run, and 2 RBIs in 5 at-bats. On the 17th, in the NC game in Changwon, he went 0-for-3, but drew 2 walks, and reached multiple bases. In the NC game on the 19th, he hit 3 hits in 5 at-bats, including a home run, and 4 RBIs, leading Hanwha to a 7-6 victory.
In fact, when he was called up to the first team, not many people thought Kwon Kwang-min would be this active. Kwon Kwang-min, who was excluded from the first team spring camp this year, stayed in the second team throughout the season. His performance was not outstanding, with a batting average of .220 (20 hits in 99 at-bats) in 43 games in the Futures League, 3 home runs, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of .627.
However, on the 20th of last month, before the game against NC in Cheongju, he joined the first team without being registered in the entry. I saw coach Kim Kyung-moon training five second-team players in advance ahead of the expanded entry in September, and one of them was Kwon Kwang-min. Based on the performance alone, he was not good enough to be called up to the first team, but coach Kim saw something that was not shown in the records.
Manager Kim said, “Kwon Kwang-min is an outfielder, but he can also play first base. He is a bit chubby, but he is good at base running. He has a baseball sense. Would we have scouted him in the US otherwise?” He said, “He was in the minor league because he was lacking something, but I think he found his own weakness.”
As Director Kim said, Kwon Kwang-min was scouted by the Chicago Cubs in the United States as a five-tool player while at Jangchung High School. He signed a contract worth $1.2 million in August 2015. This was the second-highest contract amount for a Korean pitcher after Choo Shin-soo, who signed with the Seattle Mariners for $1.37 million in 2001, and his potential was recognized. Despite his large physique of 189cm and 90kg, he was evaluated as a promising player with fast feet, strong shoulders, and mid-to-long-distance hitting.
<img src="https://thumbnews.nateimg.co.kr/view610///news.nateimg.co.kr/orgImg/pt/2024/09/21/20240920232277863866ed9ca1cf090.jpg” alt=”Kwon Kwang-min at the Chicago Cubs induction ceremony” class=”viewphoto up” />
<img src="https://thumbnews.nateimg.co.kr/view610///news.nateimg.co.kr/orgImg/pt/2024/09/21/20240920232277863866ed9ca2353fc.jpg” alt=”Hanwha Kwon Kwang-min” class=”viewphoto up” />
However, he was released after playing in the United States for three years from 2016 to 2018, up to Single-A. After returning to Korea and serving in the military, Kwon Kwang-min was drafted by Hanwha in the second round, 5th 41st overall in the 2022 rookie draft after playing for the independent baseball team Scorebon Hyenas in 2021. He was expected to be a force to be reckoned with immediately, but in his first year in 2022, he only had a batting average of .225 (16 hits in 71 at-bats), and 8 RBIs in 32 games in the first team. Last year, he also swallowed regret as he failed to show any notable results, batting average of .151 (11 hits in 73 at-bats), 2 home runs, and 9 RBIs in 66 games.
This year, I was in the minor leagues all season, but I didn’t give up. Kwon Kwang-min said, “I prepared with the mindset that there would only be one chance. Since there was a time for everything anyway, I was just waiting for that time. It was hard, but I couldn’t give up baseball.” He added, “I prepared everything hard, but I focused the most on hitting. I tried to relax mentally, and I also did a lot of weight lifting. I talked a lot with Futures batting coach Jeong Gyeong-bae to change my mindset. I think the consistent preparation I’ve done so far has led to good results at the plate without me even realizing it. Another thing that’s changed is that I no longer feel impatient at the plate.”
Hanwha, which has fallen to 8th place with 6 wins and 9 losses since September, has almost lost hope of making it to the top 5. However, it was a meaningful time in that they rediscovered the left-handed slugger Kwon Kwang-min. With 7 more games left in the season, they have one outfielder card that they can look forward to next year.
<img src="https://thumbnews.nateimg.co.kr/view610///news.nateimg.co.kr/orgImg/pt/2024/09/21/20240920232277863866ed9ca2943dc.jpg” alt=”Hanwha Eagles’ Kwon Kwang-min is greeted by his teammates at home” class=”viewphoto up” />
<img src="https://thumbnews.nateimg.co.kr/view610///news.nateimg.co.kr/orgImg/pt/2024/09/21/20240920232277863866ed9ca2f3f64.jpg” alt=”Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon high-fiving Kwon Kwang-min” class=”viewphoto up” />