“I love the way he swings at everything, fastballs and changeups alike. I want to be a mid- to long-range hitter like Noh Si-hwan (23-Hanwha Eagles).”메이저놀이터
Masango’s Park Hyun-woo (18), who became a ‘Giant Killer’, revealed his role model.
Hanwha Eagles slugger Roh Si-hwan. The hottest homegrown hitter in the KBO this season. With a season batting average of .309 (7-for-98) with 19 home runs, 57 RBIs, and a .958 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), he leads the league in most offensive categories, including tying for first in home runs, tying for second in RBIs, second in OPS, and second in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) (3.85-per Sports2Eye). The Gyeongnam High School product joined Hanwha with the second overall pick in the 2019 rookie draft and struggled to break out until last year, but a combination of weight loss and experience ahead of this season has led to his best season since his professional debut.
Park Hyun-woo, who was first introduced to baseball in the sixth grade at Yangdeokcho in Gyeongnam, went to Shinwoljung, then Gimhae, and then transferred to Masan. Since his sophomore year of middle school, he has been getting more playing time and has held down a spot in the outfield at Masango. In 16 games this season, he is 3-for-15 (46 at-bats) with one home run, 12 RBIs, and an OPS of .927, with a slugging percentage of nearly 5 percent (0.492). In the second inning of the tournament against Busan Go, he roared, lifting a fastball from opposing ace Won Sang-hyun over the left field fence for a season-long blast.
After the second game against Busan Go, Park Hyun-woo said, “I trained really hard in the winter, and I was doing well in the first half of the Weekend League, but I had a slump in the second half. It’s like a blood vessel was pierced in the Cheongryonggi,” he laughed. He did not hide his joy, saying, “It’s great to beat the E-Mart ship winner (Deoksugo) and the Golden Lion winner (Busan Go) back to back.” Regarding his home run, he said, “I saw a fastball and swung (the bat) with the idea of hitting it unconditionally,” adding, “I was so excited because it was my first home run of the tournament. I was so excited because it was my first home run of the tournament,” he said. He cited Noh as a role model, saying, “It’s cool to see him take a full swing at fastballs and changeups. I want to be a mid-to-long-range hitter like him,” he said, his eyes shining.
After this summer, Park will try his hand at going pro. “I just want to do my best no matter where they pick me,” he said. “My coach always says, ‘There is no tomorrow for us. Let’s do our best on the field’. My goal this year is to win the championship.”