Professional baseball SSG Landers' Cho Hyung-woo (23) made a strong impression in his first practice game, successfully reaching base in every at-bat.

On the 25th, Cho Hyung-woo started as the seventh catcher in the practice game against the Samsung Lions at the Akama Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, recording 2 hits in 2 at-bats and 2 walks.

In the top of the second inning, with 2 outs and a runner on second, Cho entered his first at-bat against Samsung's starting pitcher Ariel Hurado and hit a clean single, but the runner on second, Lee Jeong-beom, was out while trying to dash home, so he regrettably did not get an RBI. In the fifth inning, while SSG was trailing 0-2 with 1 out, he hit a sharp ground ball to the mound, resulting in an infield hit. He then drew walks in both of his subsequent at-bats, successfully reaching base 4 times. Despite Cho's performance, SSG lost 0-5.

After the game, Cho Hyung-woo said in an interview, "I'm really satisfied because the results were better than I expected. I had a lot of worries, but it seems like those worries were unnecessary. However, I need to work harder so that everything can be good from the process to the results." He added, "It was my first game, so I was nervous, and I had confidence, but I also worried about whether I could do well. Still, once I did it, the results were better than I thought."

"Although practice games may not mean much, every game is significant for me, and I need to perform well," said Cho Hyung-woo. "I didn't think my hitting was particularly good lately, but today my first at-bat went well, which helped relieve pressure in subsequent at-bats. My hitting isn't great yet, but I need to keep improving. I played 5 innings on defense, but I don't feel tired or strained. However, I think I need to improve my stability in areas like catching, as I feel a bit anxious about it."

Drafted in the second round (5th pick) of the 2021 rookie draft, Cho Hyung-woo joined SK (now SSG) and has a career batting average of .195 in 90 KBO League games (164 at-bats, 32 hits), with 2 home runs, 17 RBIs, and 15 runs scored, posting an OPS of .535. Although he was expected to get many opportunities last season, he only recorded a batting average of .242 in 19 games (33 at-bats, 8 hits), resulting in disappointment with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored, and an OPS of .584.

SSG manager Lee Soong-yong plans to reduce starting catcher Lee Ji-young's playing time this season and give more opportunities to younger catchers. This is intended to manage the physically demanding role of the increasingly older Lee and provide ample experience for younger catchers who can eventually grow into the starting position. In line with this, rookie catcher Lee Yul-ye, who was selected in the first round (8th pick) of the 2025 rookie draft, was included in the list for the Okinawa camp following the Florida camp. Cho Hyung-woo is also one of the catchers expected to get an opportunity this year.

"I’m trying my best to catch up with my senior (Lee Ji-young)," said Cho Hyung-woo. "I’m also trying to do well alongside (Lee) Yul-ye. We both have the mindset of putting in effort, so it seems like we create good synergy." He continued, "While competition for positions is important, I also realize that the opportunities given to me might decrease. Since I'm in a position where I need to deliver results, I'm playing with more urgency. I don't have my place yet, but if I get the opportunity, I believe I must repay it with even better performance. I will approach everything with more determination going forward."