“Choi Hyung-woo and Lee Chang-jin told me about my waist.”

Byun Woo-hyeok (23), a prospect who gave up 150km fireballer Han Seung-hyeok and brought him back. The potential was high enough to join Hanwha as the first nomination in 2019. But the back was a problem.메이저놀이터 Byun Woo-hyuk only played 189 games in the Futures League for four years after his debut.

He hit 16 home runs in the Futures League. 4 homers in 50 career games in the 1st team. However, KIA coach Kim Jong-guk’s expectations are different. Another big gun prospect, Im Seok-jin, who gave up and brought Kim Min-sik (SSG) during the 2022 season, could not even join the first team camp.

It was judged that Byun Woo-hyuk’s competitiveness was enough to threaten the first team players. Coach Kim said, “Woo Hyuk is a player who focuses more on hitting than defense. If he only shows his batting talent, he will be sent to the game.” He said, “Last year and the year before last, there were minor injuries. He didn’t perform well. He is taking good care of his body at camp.”

He has entered the competition for third baseman with Ryu Ji-hyeok and Kim Do-young, and the first baseman competition with Hwang Dae-in and Kim Seok-hwan. This year, he is a player who will have a great impact on the competitiveness of the KIA infield and the weight of the other line. As KIA, which puts its life and death on collecting giant guns, it is determined to somehow grow Byun Woo-hyuk.

Byun Woo-hyuk did his best to take care of his health in order to take off his ‘glass body’ image. It’s natural for a professional player, but it was meaningful because he was Byun Woo-hyuk. He recently said at the arrivals hall at Incheon Airport, “I went to a rehabilitation center in Gwangju all winter. After seeing the doctor, his back improved a lot. He heard a lot about his waist from senior Choi Hyeong-woo and senior Lee Chang-jin.”

As his body healed, his confidence returned. Byun Woo-hyuk said, “There was a lot of training in Tucson, but he is in good shape enough to do extra. No more back issues. He feels good, so he has a sense of responsibility. When he was a rookie, he bumped into him without knowing how to look cool, but now he is trying to become a player who meets the expectations of the team.”

The picture of Byun Woo-hyuk growing into a designated hitter in the long run is not bad either. KIA is slowly trying to end Choi Hyung-woo’s era of designated hitters. It’s not that I distrust Choi Hyeong-woo, it’s because the team also has to look to the future. Byun Woo-hyeok, Kim Seok-hwan, and Hwang Dae-in, who established themselves as first basemen last year, are the future of KIA. This year, KIA can accurately grasp the ceiling of Byun Woo-hyuk, who has shaken off health issues.