"Knock No.4" Kim Minhyuk who responded to the steel surprise

"Knock No.4" Kim Minhyuk who responded to the steel surprise

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KT's Kim Min-hyuk (30) just took as a joke the hitting coach Yoo Han-joon's words, saying, "You can hit as the fourth batter, so prepare yourself." "The fourth batter" is a symbolic position for the best hitters in his team. Most of them are hitters who have precision, long balls and clutch ability to handle important situations.안전놀이터

Outfielder Kim Min-hyuk, who joined KT as a founding member in 2014, is not the type of batter even though he is in his 12th year as a professional. Kim Min-hyuk, who is good at contacting, had his best season as a batter last year, hitting a batting average of 0.353 (124 hits in 351 times at bat) with 34 RBIs and 47 runs. While hitting has been steadily on the rise, he has hit only 10 homers in total.

Since the opening of the KBO League in 2025, Kim Min-hyuk has actually been KT's No. 4 hitter. "At some point, I had a hunch as I continued to enter the exhibition game as the No. 4 hitter," Kim Min-hyuk said, "But I thought, 'It's not going to be the opening,' but the coach kept talking seriously, so I couldn't help but pay attention."

KT manager Lee Kang-chul threw a winning move to forward deploy Kang Baek-ho and Mel Rojas Jr., the team's top sluggers, to the first and second batting order to strengthen the lineup this season. At the same time, Heo Kyung-min and Kim Min-hyuk, the types of school hitters, were put in No. 3 and No. 4 to make a different choice from "common sense." In particular, putting Kim Min-hyuk in the batting order of No. 4 deserves to be called "shocking."

However, No. 4 hitter Kim Min-hyuk is performing better than expected. Kim Min-hyuk played 2 for 4 (one point) in the home game against Doosan on the 25th. With Kang Baek-ho, Rohas, and Huh Kyung-min batting order exploding, Kim Min-hyuk's bat is also exploding. Kim Min-hyuk hit in all three opening games, including a multi-hit (one RBI) in the opening game against Hanwha on the 22nd, when he became the fourth batter for the first time since joining the professional league. He has a batting average of 0.417 (5 hits in 12 times at bat) in three games.

Kim Min-hyuk said, "To be honest, the pressure of the title of No. 4 hitter is a little big. People around me say that the batting order that the coach planned is unconventional, but I think it's different from the average No. 4 hitter. I just think that I have to bet according to the situation, and I stand at bat every time."

Still, Kim Min-hyuk is overcoming the pressure well. He got off to a good start. His first hit at bat in the opening game was a timely hit. He had his first hit of the season with two outs and a runner on the third base at the bottom of the first inning, bringing home third baseman Kang Baek-ho. In the fifth inning with a 2-1 lead, he unfortunately hit a double play in front of the second baseman, but he played a two-hit game.

"This is the first time I had a hit in the opening game," Kim said. His first hit in the opening game was more regrettable than joy. "I thought that if I were another batter, I would have swung for sure," Kim said. "After the two strikes, I had a habit of trying not to get strikeouts, so I hit a weak ground ball."

"I played well against left-handed pitchers as well," Lee said, expressing his willingness to give Kim a chance as the fourth batter regardless of whether he is a left-handed pitcher or not. "I think I should do better. There is nothing more difficult about a left-handed pitcher," Kim said.

"[Moon] Sang-cheol advised me to think that I play baseball in any batting order," Kim Min-hyuk said. "I'm more grateful for the fact that I'm participating in the game rather than thinking that I'm the fourth hitter, and I'm focusing on every moment." Kim Min-hyuk, who has a lot of thoughts, said, "No. 4 hitters don't care even if they don't get a chance. I should learn that kind of mindset." He also talked about his homework.

The challenge of "No. 4 hitter Kim Min-hyuk" is just beginning. It's a difficult position, but it's also an opportunity. Kim Min-hyuk smiled cheerfully, saying, "If I do well in the symbolic position of the fourth batter, wouldn't it have a big impact?"