Choi Hyung-woo (39-KIA Tigers) has been on a 48-game hitting streak since April 8 against the Gwangju Doosan Bears.
His batting average (0.324), on-base percentage (0.426), and OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage, 0.926) rank second in the KBO.
Choi Hyung-woo went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs in the visiting Doosan Bears’ 6-3 win at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Tuesday.
After the game, Choi said, “It may sound harsh, but I need to find my hitting touch quickly,” adding, “I’m not thinking about personal records like hitting streaks. I just want to find my hitting touch quickly and help the team.”
Choi Hyung-woo’s insatiable personality is the driving force behind his rise from a “throwaway player” to one of the top hitters in Korean baseball.
Despite his frustration that “the ball keeps hitting the wrist side of the bat,” KIA is happy with “everything he’s done this season 메이저놀이터.
He’s also a “stereotype-breaking hitter.
On Tuesday, with runners on first and second in the top of the fifth inning of a 3-3 tie, Doosan pulled left-handed starter Choi Seung-yong from the mound and sent out sidearm pitcher Park Chi-kook.
Left-handed batters have the physical advantage of seeing a right-handed submarine pitch longer.
But Choi says, “Strangely enough, I’m more comfortable with lefties than submarine pitchers.” In fact, up until that day, Choi’s batting average against submarine pitchers was .200 and against lefties was .358.
Based on the data, Doosan went with Choi Hyung-woo.
However, Choi took a six-pitch fastball from Park Chi-guk and lined it into the right field seats for a single. It was the game-winning hit.
“I was really lucky to get the hit,” Choi said. I still didn’t feel like hitting,” Choi said.
In the top of the ninth inning, with runners on first and second, Choi also hit a single that fell in front of the center fielder.
Choi said, “The pitch in the ninth inning just missed. I’m so lucky,” he said repeatedly.
But even the missed hit was the result of Choi’s ability to make contact.
“All I want now is for the team to get back to .500 and look up,” Choi said.
Thanks to Choi, Kia has won two straight games after three straight losses to improve to 25-27 (0.481 winning percentage), just two steps away from getting back to 0.500.