The catcher who was never in the world is coming. It is a little difficult to be the top hitter in the catcher's preliminary FA with 26 home runs last year. But it's fun.

Mar 01, 2025

KT Kang Baek-ho, who started as a catcher in a practice game between KT and SSG held at Kushikawa Baseball Stadium in Okinawa, Japan on the 28th. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.02.28/

KT and Hanwha practice games at Kochinda Stadium in Okinawa, Japan on the 26th, and KT Kang Baek-ho hits a ball in the top of the 5th inning. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.02.26/

KT and SSG practice games held at Kushikawa Baseball Stadium in Okinawa, Japan on the 28th, and KT manager Lee Kang-chul applauds Kim Dong-jin, who scored a tie score in the top of the ninth inning. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.02.28/

[Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Kwon In-ha of Sports Chosun] KT Wiz's lineup against SSG Landers on the 28th was a little strange. Catcher Kang Baek-ho was placed as the first batter, and Mel Rojas Jr. was placed as the second batter.

In the case of Rojas, he was the first hitter last year, but Kang Baek-ho is definitely an unfamiliar batting order. I thought it was to give Kang Baek-ho a lot of chances because it was a practice game, but it wasn't.

KT manager Lee Kang-chul said, `Now is the best lineup without (Jang) Sung-woo.' It means that Kang Baek-ho and Rohas will set up a table setter. Kang Baek-ho had 26 home runs last year, and Rojas had 32. An unfamiliar thing happened that the first and second home runs in the team went to the table setter, not the center hit line. Manager Lee explained that if a good hitter hits in front, and at first it's No. 1 and No. 2, but the batting order turns and creates chances in the lower lineup, Kang Baek-ho Rojas will naturally play the role of the center hitter. Behind Kang Baek-ho and Rojas, Heo Kyung-min and Jang Sung-woo, who are good at in-play batting, were placed so that they could score from chances made at No. 1 and 2.

Kang Baek-ho will be a top hitter in his debut season in 2018, and this time he will be a top hitter again. In particular, it may be a little more difficult because he goes out as a catcher this time. Of course, because of Jang Sung-woo, the main catcher, Kang Baek-ho will wear a mask only once or twice a week and the rest will be designated hitters. Still, the catcher has a lot of physical consumption and has to lead the pitcher, so he has to carry mental stress.

Kang Baek-ho, who suddenly became a catcher last season after his high school years, will train a catcher in earnest starting with the spring camp for the first time.

Kang Baek-ho said, `It's a little hard because I'm playing a lot of sports and the most games in the camp.' But about playing as the No. 1 catcher, `I'm a little busy, but it's fun. He doesn't seem to care much about the first hitter, saying, "I'm playing well because I have a lot of good batters behind me."

As a catcher, he also studies hard to lead. "I go to data meetings and don't usually watch videos after the game, but I watch a lot of pitcher videos that day, and I see the angle at which the balls of me and the pitchers are bent," he said. "I think I have to trust the pitcher's ball first and the pitcher believes that there will be good synergy only when he believes in me, so I'm trying to get to know the pitcher more confidently and help him."

The KBO League KT and Hanwha match held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 5th. KT Kang Baek-ho is the starting catcher. Suwon = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.06.05/

The second round of semi-PO between LG and KT at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 6th. KT Kang Baek-ho is hitting an RBI sacrifice fly with one out and runners on first and third in the third inning. Jamsil = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.10.06/

I thanked the KT pitchers. "Our pitchers are so good that I think they're a little more comfortable because they fit well enough with any sign. In fact, pitchers are quite difficult if the catcher is a beginner. But he said, "They are pitchers with a lot of experience in big games, so they make them comfortable."

I think I have to go out a lot and get the ball to do well during the regular season. "I'm getting the ball from all the pitchers in the practice game. I'm greedy for defensive innings, but I'm working hard right now because I have to do it now to make it easier for me to go into the season."

He aims to win the title as a mature Kang Baek-ho. "The coach always says that he knows and wants to play a lot of games, so I want to play accordingly, and I think I need to play more maturely."Kang Baek-ho expressed his determination to win the championship, saying, `If we don't focus too much on emotions and just do what we need to do more calmly, I think our team will be able to aim for the championship.'

After the end of this season, he will become an FA. As the position has been decided as a catcher this year, the ransom is on the rise. It is already attracting attention as the biggest fish in the FA market this winter. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to it and I'm worried, but more than anything, I hope our team's performance comes out better."Kang Baek-ho " expressed high expectations for his performance and team performance, saying, "I think that the pace of the first half can come out again if you look positively because the performance (batting average 0.289, 26 home runs, 96 RBIs) was really bad in the second half of last year, and I believe that this year will be much better than last year, and because our members are good, I think we can start this year expecting a higher performance."

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.