‘Return of baseball genius’ Kang Baek-ho and Kim Do-young home run competition

Kang, Kim, who doubles as a catcher and is confident in his hitting, has shaken off his injury slump and has 11 hits in his third year Joint leader with Choi Jeong.

Kang Baek-ho, who has shown talent in several positions including pitcher, catcher, and outfielder since his days at Seoul High School, was named Rookie of the Year by hitting 29 home runs in 2018, his debut season, and attracted attention as a next-generation slugger. However, after recording 16 home runs and 102 RBIs in 2021, he was far from being a 'baseball genius' over the past two seasons. In 2022, he hit only 6 home runs due to injuries to his toes and thighs. Last year, he was unable to overcome psychological anxiety and only hit 8 home runs.

The reason why Kang Baek-ho came back to life was when he started working as a catcher this year. Kang Baek-ho wore a catcher's mask in the second half of the game against Hanwha on March 31 due to an injury to starting catcher Jang Seong-woo. ‘Catcher’ Kang Baek-ho’s skills exceeded everyone’s expectations. He was good at not only catching but also blocking. From then on, manager Lee Kang-cheol started sending out Kang Baek-ho as the starting catcher whenever Jang Seong-woo needed a rest. Kang Baek-ho, who found his place in defense, also found confidence in batting. Kang Baek-ho, who had only one home run in eight games in March, hit nine home runs in 25 games in April, reaching double-digit home runs in three seasons. As of the 5th, Kang Baek-ho has a batting average of 0.327 and has 35 RBIs, the most in the league.

Kim Do-young, who was hampered by injuries last year, has also emerged as a hot-tasting infielder aiming for 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He hit 10 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 25 games in April. 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases in a month is the first time in the 43-year history of professional baseball. Kim Do-young, who mainly plays as a second hitter and third baseman, is at the top in almost all offensive categories with a batting average of 0.329, 11 home runs, 27 RBI, 33 runs, and 14 stolen bases as of the 5th. Ranked 1st in scoring and 2nd in stolen bases. If he maintains the current pace, he will be the first Korean player to join the '30 home runs and 30 steals' club in 24 years, following Park Jae-hong (Hyundai at the time) in 2000 (32 home runs and 30 stolen bases). 토토