"Please play your favorite role"…Hanwha Hwang Young-mook, who showed a clear presence this year, will continue sprinting next year
"Please play your favorite role"…Hanwha Hwang Young-mook, who showed a clear presence this year, will continue sprinting next year
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"The director is playing his favorite role well."
These were the words of Hanwha Eagles coach Kim Kyung-moon, whom he met during the course of this season. As such, Hwang showed off his distinct presence this year.
Hwang Young-mook, from Chunghun High School, is a right-handed, left-handed infield utility resource with a dramatic story. He entered the 2018 Rookie Draft, but did not receive a pick from professional clubs, and chose to go to Chung-Ang University.
However, Hwang Young-mook showed great will toward baseball players. After dropping out of Chung-Ang University, he worked for independent baseball teams such as the Seongnam Blue Panthers, the Scorebon Hyenas, and the Yeoncheon Miracle, and did not give up his dream. He also finished his military service as an active member from 2019 to 2021, and appeared on KBS sports documentary "Youth Baseball Team: Still Not Out" and JTBC sports entertainment show "The Greatest Baseball Organization," showing his desperate need for baseball.
As a result, Hwang proudly entered the professional league as the No. 31 player in the fourth round of the 2024 rookie draft, and was called by Hanwha. He was the only player among the 2024 rookie players who played in the first division spring camp along with Hwang Joon-seo, and was proudly listed in the opening entry.
He did not have to be rough from then on. He posted a batting average of 0.311 (61 hits in 196 at-bats) and three homers and 26 RBIs in the first half of the year, and became a major resource as he posted an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.761.
In the second half of the year, Hwang still showed off his presence. He posted a batting average of 0.288 (44 hits in 153 times at bat) with nine RBIs and an OPS of 0.707, and as such, Hwang's performance this season remained at 123 games with a batting average of 0.301 (105 hits in 349 times at bat) with three homers and 35 RBIs and an OPS of 0.737. As evidenced by his batting average of 0.326 (30 hits in 92 times at bat), he showed off his outstanding clutch ability, and his baserunning, which was always desperate enough to have dirt on his uniform, was also enough to catch fans' attention.
The head coach was also happy with Hwang's performance. "Hwang Young-mook is a style that allows pitchers to draw more balls. As a rookie, I am doing better than I expected," said manager Kim Kyung-moon, who met in late August. "He is playing the role that the coach likes."
And after the season, Hwang Young-mook, who was acknowledged for this contribution, was proudly selected as a candidate for the Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately, he failed to win the award, but the fact that he was nominated was a meaningful enough result.
However, 안전놀이터 he should not be satisfied with this. Hwang has a difficult path ahead of him even in 2025. He has to win in a fierce competition. For starters, An Chi-hong is holding onto second baseman who Hwang played the most this year, while Shim Woo-joon, who was also recently hired as shortstop. Both players have already been proven. Of course, Hwang Young-mook, who proved his worth this year, is also not likely to step down easily. Attention is focusing on whether he will be able to see his unique sprint next year.