“The first home game was a weekend game, and I received a lot of support from the fans.
Byun Woo-hyuk started as a fifth hitter and first baseman in the home game against Doosan Bears in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League demonstration game held at KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on the 19th.
Byun Woo-hyeok’s long-hitting instinct wriggled. At the bottom of the 8th inning, Byun Woo-hyeok raised right-hander Kim Ji-yong’s slider from first out and second base and drew a two-run arch over the left fence. With this home run, he widened the gap to 8-1 and completely broke the opponent’s will to pursue.
On this day, Byun Woo-hyuk performed a batting show with 2 hits in 4 at-bats, 1 home run, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. He hit multi-hits in two consecutive games, and his exhibition batting average rose to 0.389.
After the game, Byun Woo-hyuk said, 먹튀검증 “I was preparing well from the US and tried to keep it in Japan. I am still practicing to keep it the same before the season.”
Regarding the home run, Byun Woo-hyuk looked back, saying, “I was a pitcher who usually throws sliders, so I was aiming for a slider that came in from the outside, but a misspelled shot came in the middle of my body. I hit it without missing it and got a good result.”
Byun Woo-hyeok, who can defend both corners of the infield, is mainly playing as a first baseman in demonstration games. Byun Woo-hyeok told the story of his defense. “I am practicing a lot on how to set the bound while continuing to train with coach Park Ki-nam. I thought about hitting the ball in advance in the game, but it came as expected and I think the defense went well. I have played a lot of games as a first baseman, so I think 1st base is more comfortable ( laugh).”
Who is Byun Woo-hyuk’s role model? He said, “Since I was in the US camp, I watched San Diego (Manny) Machado’s video almost every day. I checked how to set the timing, and I thought that the batting that he hit while standing comfortably and leaving was very good. I see a lot of blows from senior Na Seong-beom.”
Byun Woo-hyeok, an ‘unfinished big gun prospect’, joined KIA through a trade in November of last year. He changed his uniform for the first time since entering the professional stage with the Hanwha Eagles in 2019. Byun Woo-hyuk made his debut in front of the home fans this weekend and showed off his presence by wielding a hard hit.
Byun Woo-hyuk expressed satisfaction, saying, “The first home game was a weekend game, and I received a lot of support from the fans. That’s why I think I did better and feel comfortable. I feel comfortable even when I go into the bat and I can see the ball well,” expressing satisfaction.