[OSEN=이상학 기자] The growth of KIA Tigers professional baseball catcher Han Jun-su (25) is unusual. His role is increasing to the point where he has a similar playing percentage to starting catcher Kim Tae-gun (35).
Junsu Han wore a starting mask in three of KIA’s six games last week. Starting in three consecutive games, from the Gwangju LG game on the 11th to the Daejeon Hanwha game on the 12th and 13th, he hit hard with a .4299 batting average (6 hits in 14 at-bats), 4 RBI, and 2 walks, making a strong impression with his aggressive ball combination and left pitcher’s lead
A representative example is the match against Hanwha on the 13th. At that time, in the bottom of the 8th inning when the team was behind 11-9 and the bases were loaded, Jeon Sang-hyun was asked to throw 1-2 consecutive fastballs to the body against the ‘king home run’ Noh Si-hwan. It was a situation where you had to be careful because if the ball was pushed too hard, it could lead to a big hit, but Han Jun-su, on the contrary, was stuck with strength against strength . After getting a favorable count with consecutive fouls on the 1st and 2nd pitches, it again led to a hit in due course from the second baseman with a fastball towards his body in a game that lasted until the 9th pitch. The next batter, Kim Tae-yeon, was then treated into a double play to end the inning, setting the stage for KIA’s 11-9 win.
After the match, Jeon Sang-hyun said, “Junsu’s leadership was very good. The body sign came out of the first pitch, and the body sign came out again for the second pitch, so I got into the course I wanted and got good results. “I think very highly of Junsu Reid,” he said. Yang Hyun-jong, who was in the battery as a starting pitcher that day, also said, “Junsu is learning a lot right now, but he is making a lot of bold signs. “As I continue to play and gain experience, I will become a better catcher,” he said.
KIA coach Lee Beom-ho, who has been watching Junsu Han since he was the general coach of the Future in 2020, said, “I also really appreciate Junsu’s guidance. When he’s aggressive, he gets aggressive, and when he’s defensive, he looks at the opposing hitter defensively and takes the count. The brain is smart. Even looking at the hitting aspect, he is good at aiming. “He’s growing into a good catcher,” he said with satisfaction.
Regarding the game against Noh Si-hwan in the 8th inning of the game on the 13th, Junsu Han said, “Si-hwan’s tendency is to turn away from the batting box and come in. Previous pitchers used a lot of the outside, but Sanghyun was so strong with the ball that he played with the inside of his body. “I look at the batter’s tendencies and check them during the game,” he said, feeling embarrassed, adding, “You don’t know what the pitcher’s lead is going to be in every situation, but I think they be praising me because the results are good.”
Above all, hitting is good. In 11 games, he is hitting hard with a .393 batting average (11 hits in 28 at-bats), 6 RBI, and an OPS of .960. A slugging percentage of .536 with 4 doubles. The 184cm, 95kg left-hander is showing his hitting potential, which has been recognized since he was first drafted in 2018. In the second half of last year, when he returned from military service, he showed potential with a .256 batting average, 22 hits in 86 at-bats, 2 home runs, 12 RBI, and an OPS of .684 in 48 games, and this year he is on track to unleash his full potential.
Junsu Han said, “Last year’s first team experience has helped me a lot. In the beginning, when every at-bat went out, the hitting time was late, but after hitting coach Hong Se-wan told me to ‘try a slow ball on the first pitch’ during my first at-bat in by LG (on). the 11th), I had a good result (double right by attacking Lim Chan-gyu’s curve).
Han Jun-su, a graduate of Gwangju Dongseong High School, is a promising player who joined KIA in the first round of selection in 2018. However, his growth was limited as he only played in 7 first team games in 2019, and entered military service on active duty in 2021. He returned to the team with a completely different appearance after losing more than 20kg, and is now showing his potential to be selected in the first round. Junsu Han said, “I wish we could settle down quickly, but it (the past) is something that cannot be helped. “It’s important to do the best I can in my current situation,” he said.
There was a time when I was wandering when I first joined the team, but I was still only 25 years old. The emergence of Han Jun-su is more welcome than anything else for KIA, who have had difficulty developing young keepers. Manager Lee Beom-ho also said, “I’ve seen Junsu since he was with Futures, and he’s not the nervous type, and his personality is perfect for a catcher.” He added, “Taegoon is also getting older little by little, so there will be a situation where Junsu will have to lead the way in the future. “If we grow like now, there won’t be any problems,” he said.
As this is the first full-time season for the first team, maintaining physical strength is also important. Junsu Han said, “I lift weights before the game, and after the game, I eat well and sleep well. “I’m losing stamina, but I’ll try to make it drop less,” he said, and promised, “This year, my goal will be to have double-digit home runs in batting and for the team to be on top defensively.”
/waw@osen.co.kr
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