14 years ago, Choi Hyungwoo was the last...The King, whose reputation is a home run factory, is not born, why are we looking forward to this year

Jan 08, 2025

Game 3 of the Korean Series between KIA and Samsung at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 25th. Samsung's Park Byung-ho hit a solo home run against KIA's Jeon Sang-hyun in the bottom of the seventh inning. Daegu=Song Jeong-heon, Reporter Song@sportschosun.com/2024.10.25/

Samsung Kim Young-woong hits a come-from-behind solo home run in the second round of the playoffs between LG and Samsung at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 15th. Daegu = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.10.15/

Samsung Lions' Home Run King' was born. Can we look forward to this year.

Lions Park, Samsung's home stadium, had 216 home runs in 2024. About three home runs were made per game. This is the highest figure in the league. Jamsil Stadium, which is considered the largest, is only 1.53 per game.

It is difficult to conclude simply by the factors of the stadium. However, Lions Park is built in the shape of an octagon, so the fence distance between the left and right is shorter than that of other stadiums. As such, there is a high probability of a home run. Samsung topped the team's home run with 185 arches.

As they have a good environment to hit home runs, a total of 19 players hit home runs against Samsung last year. This is the largest number among the 10 clubs. Six players (Koo Ja-wook, Kim Young-woong, Park Byung-ho, Lee Sung-kyu, Kang Min-ho and Lee Jae-hyun) also hit double-digit home runs.

Although Samsung is showing its reputation little by little as 'home run corps', Samsung has not produced 'home run king' for the past 13 years. Choi Hyung-woo was the last Samsung player to win the home run title in 2011. At that time, Choi won three home runs (30), RBIs (118), and slugging percentage (0.617).

In particular, since 2016, when Lions Park, which is considered the best 'batter-friendly'ball stadium in the KBO League, has opened, it has not been able to enter the race for home run king. It was the moment when Jose Pirella hit 28 home runs in 2022 and finished the season in second place, seven behind first place Park Byung-ho (then KT).

'Home Run Factory' is used as a home, but 'Super Big Gun' has not come out yet. In 2025, it is worth looking forward to 'Homer King' a little more.

The match between the Hanwha Eagles and the Samsung Lions at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 11th. Samsung's Koo Ja-wook is cheering after hitting a timely hit in the top of the fourth inning with two outs and runners on the second and third bases. Daejeon = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.09.11/

A match between the KIA Tigers and the Samsung Lions in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 28th. Samsung's Kim Young-woong is cheering after hitting a solo shot with two outs in the top of the first inning. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.28/

Koo Ja-wook (32) hit 33 home runs last year, ranking fifth in homers. He surpassed the 22 home runs career high recorded in 2021 and reached the 30 home runs mark for the first time since his debut. His slugging percentage was 0.627, the highest since his debut. He also had a batting average of 343, opening his eyes to some extent when it came to hitting.

Expectations are also high for Kim Young-woong (22), the 'second Lee Seung-yeop'. Kim Young-woong, who joined Samsung in the second round of the 2022 Rookie Draft (third overall), had only three total home runs in his first two years. This season, however, he finished second in homers behind Koo Ja-wook with 28 arches in 126 games. It is the first time in 27 years that a player under the age of 21 has recorded more than 20 home runs in Samsung since Lee Seung-yeop (32) in 1997. In particular, Kim Young-woong hit four home runs in nine postseason games and even showed off his appearance as a `big game hitter.'

Park Byung-ho of Samsung hitting. Daegu=Song Jeong-heon, Reporter Song@sportschosun.com/2024.10.15/

'Revival of the original' is also waiting. Samsung acquired Park Byung-ho (39) in a trade with KT at the end of May last year. Since his transfer, Park has hit 20 home runs in 76 games.

Park Byung-ho, who became the first home run king in the KBO League for four consecutive years from 2012 to 2015, and also changed the history of big guns by recording 50 home runs for two consecutive years for the first time in 2014 and 2015. Park Byung-ho, who won a total of six home runs (2012-2015, 2019, 2022), finished the season with 23 home runs last year. Park Byung-ho's revival as the home run king is not just a dream.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.