Professional baseball player Hwang Seong-bin (28) of the Lotte Giants is showing marked progress not only in hitting but also in defense, signaling an impactful season ahead.
Hwang Seong-bin had the best season last year. He recorded a batting average of .320 (117 hits in 366 at-bats), 4 home runs, 26 RBIs, 94 runs, 51 stolen bases, and an OPS of .812 across 125 games, which earned him a selection to his first All-Star game. This year, Hwang Seong-bin, expected to perform as Lotte's leadoff hitter, finished the spring training with a batting average of .300 (6 hits in 20 at-bats), 3 runs, 2 stolen bases, and an OPS of .633.
Hwang Seong-bin, who had his best season in hitting, received some criticism for his defense. It was noted that his concentration at the plate does not carry over to his defense. However, in this year's spring training, many positive reports began to emerge about his defensive play. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung praised Hwang Seong-bin, mentioning that he is ranked after Park Hae-min (LG) and Jung Soo-bin (Doosan) in center field defense.
In response to the praise from Manager Kim Tae-hyung, Hwang Seong-bin noted in an interview on the 17th, "I’m not sure about that yet,” while smiling, “It might be a bit early to say, but I think my defense has improved. I have prepared well, so I believe I can show better results in defense compared to last year."
Hwang Seong-bin stated, "I focused on my start. Coach Jo Won-woo said my concentration during defense isn't as strong as when I hit. So, I think trying to approach defense with the same mindset as hitting is the improvement I've made." He added, "I was criticized a lot during spring training. I acknowledged that and tried to learn again. In my opinion, if I think I played well defensively, I would stay next to the coach until he praised me, but he didn't give me any compliments."
"In throwing, the coach advised that I have speed and can utilize it when I throw, but that I'm too hasty," Hwang Seong-bin revealed. "So, I'm trying to throw with more composure." He continued, "My attitude towards defense has changed. As a center fielder, I want to catch as many batted balls as possible. Since both corner outfielders throw well, my mindset is, ‘I'll catch everything, and you guys handle the throwing.’ I’m not a center fielder to catch balls anyone can catch. I'm constantly working hard to catch more challenging batted balls."
Hwang Seong-bin mentioned, "The preparation process for hitting remains the same as last year. I believe that if I have a high on-base percentage and step on the base often, the team will succeed. The hitters behind me are really good, so if I score a lot, the team will rank higher."
"The atmosphere changes depending on how well I perform," Hwang Seong-bin emphasized. "When I'm on base, it makes things challenging for pitchers, so that seems to be the most important part. I want to score more than 100 runs."
"Competition occurs every year, but I am confident regardless of who comes," Hwang Seong-bin stated. "I've prepared well and believe I can deliver results." He added, "Last year, my on-base percentage was .375, which is not a high figure for a leadoff hitter. Coach Kim Min-jae said I only need to achieve .380, but personally, I want to aim for about .400."
When Coach Kim Min-jae said that if Hwang Seong-bin surpasses an on-base percentage of .380, he would grant him any wish, Hwang Seong-bin stated, "I asked to be positioned as the third hitter in next year's season opener." He also shared, "Actually, last year, Coach Kim Joo-chan said if I achieved a .300 batting average with 100 at-bats, he would let me hit third. But when I easily exceeded .300, he jokingly asked me to let him live. I merely said that playfully. I wanted to keep a good atmosphere."
"I have three personal goals: designated hitter, the third hitter in the season opener, and pitching," Hwang Seong-bin said. "I've played as a designated hitter. I could pitch whenever the score difference is significant. I appeal a lot to the pitching coach as well. I’m not sure about my speed, but I have a playful style with my fingers," he said with a smile.
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