Will Hong Chang-ki be able to regain his fame?
LG Twins outfielder Hong Chang-ki had a disappointing year last season due to overlapping injuries.
In 118 games last season he had a batting average of .286 with 125 hits, one home run and 51 RBI. In the 2021 season, he appeared in all league games and recorded a batting average of 0.328, 172 hits, 4 homers, 52 RBIs and an on-base percentage of 0.456, and won the Outfielder Golden Glove.
The part that was particularly disappointing was the on-base record. His walks nearly halved from 109 to 59, and his on-base percentage fell from .456 to .390. There was even a saying, “The biggest victim of the widened strike zone is Hong Chang-ki.”
But Hong Chang-gi didn’t care about that. I saw that the strike zone was not the problem, but that I was injured and lost my balance. Hong Chang-ki, whom I met before leaving for spring camp, said, “In the 2022 season, I wanted to play more actively than walk. However, it was bad because I had an injury in my body and my balance was broken. I don’t think I suffered damage because of the strike zone.”
He prepared for the 2023 season steadily while sweating heavily at the Arizona spring camp in the United States. This season could have been an important season in his career. Kim Hyeon-soo and Park Hae-min are firmly entrenched, and Moon Seong-joo has risen. Also, as a foreign player, James Austin Dean, who mainly sees outfielders, came. There were many saying that Hong Chang-ki was the player in the most ambiguous position.
However, Hong Chang-ki does not care and proves it sexually. From his exhibition game period, he played an active role in 14 games with a batting average of 0.306, 11 hits, 2 RBIs and 9 runs. He also had an on-base percentage of .480, higher than last season’s .390. He also recorded 7 stolen bases due to his brisk running base play. 먹튀검증
The season has begun. Hong Chang-ki is hot. In four games, he is batting .583 with 7 hits, 3 RBIs, 2 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .722. He continued his streak of on-base and hits in all games, and recorded multi-hits in 3 out of 4 games. Against Kiwoom Heroes on the 5th, he came out with his first leadoff all season.
Routing play is also active. Of course, there were three runners, but I am doing my best to take out the soul of the opponent’s battery with a wide lead width without being intimidated.
Of course, since it’s still early in the season, there may be people who say, ‘Are you making a fuss already?’ However, if a player who was stagnant last season shows a hot appearance from the start of the season, who wouldn’t expect to see what he will show next time.
When Hong Chang-gi revives, LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop’s use of other lines will become more diverse.
Although it is early in the season, can Hong Chang-ki, the king of on-base, regain his reputation?