Hanwha Eagles catcher Heo In-seo of professional baseball has been unleashing his potential with consecutive big hits.
Heo started as the catcher and cleanup hitter No. 6 in the home game against the LG Twins in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League at Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Ballpark on the 10th, going 3-for-4 with one home run, one RBI and two runs scored to help the team secure a winning series.
Heo is hitting an astonishing .500 with 15 hits in 30 at-bats over eight games in May. He has also hit five home runs among those, and with seven home runs already this season he is within sight of double-digit homers. He has 14 RBIs, a .559 on-base percentage, a 1.067 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.626. He ranks first overall in May. His season batting average, which had been .150 through April, has exactly doubled to .300.
Asked recently about the secret to his hot hitting, Heo said, "Rather than a secret, I always think about timing when I swing, and right now that timing is good." Heo, who hit five home runs in 11 exhibition games this year, assessed, "I'm thinking more about accuracy than back then. As a result, my contact has improved and I'm choosing pitches better, so good batted balls are coming out."
He has also been showing his presence in the batter's box and has worn the starting catcher mask more often. Heo, who joined as the 11th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 rookie draft, played eight games in his debut season, completed his military service with the Sangmu baseball team and returned to appear in 20 games last year. This year he has already appeared in 29 games and 70 plate appearances.
There are inevitably many aspects to consider, from hitting to battery chemistry. Heo said, "I try not to worry about that. If I can't hit and my defense also falters, it's a minus for the team," adding, "Catchers are more directly connected to the team's defense, so I think defense comes first."
When asked whether he felt he had grown compared with when he first reached the first team, he said, "I'm not sure about growth yet, but when I first went out I was very nervous. Now I'm a bit more comfortable and less nervous, so I can play my game with more confidence."
In his fifth year, Heo, who had accumulated 49 plate appearances in previous seasons, still barely qualifies as a rookie of the year candidate. If his current hitting form continues steadily, it is conceivable that Heo, a draft peer of Moon Dong-ju from 2023, could bring the rookie of the year honor to Hanwha again.
Heo said, "I know the conditions, but it's only May and there are still well over 100 games left, so it's too early to worry about it. You have to finish well to win rookie of the year. I'm not particularly worrying about it yet."
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