In 2021, his third year in the KBO, Hanwha’s big gun Noh Si-hwan (23-photo) hit .271 with 18 home runs and 84 RBIs in 107 games, shedding the prospect tag. Last year, however, his batting average rose to .281, but his growth stalled as his home runs dropped to six. Adding weight to his frame for power proved to be toxic.
Last winter, in desperation, he cut back to 90 kilograms and moved his batting point further forward to improve his long ball production, a move that proved to be a godsend. Noh has now gone beyond Hanwha to become one of the biggest names in the KBO.카지노
On July 9, Noh hit his first career three-homer game against Suwon KT, consolidating his lead in the category with 26 home runs on the season. On the same day, SSG’s Choi Jung (21), who is second in home runs, became the first right-handed hitter to reach the 450-homer plateau with a game-winning solo shot to break a 1-1 tie at Incheon NC, but the gap between Noh and Choi widened from three to five home runs on the season.
Before the game against KT, Noh received the news that he had won the July Monthly Player of the Month (MVP) award, and his eyes were set on the August MVP award, as well as the regular season MVP. “As the season comes to a close, the regular season MVP becomes a little more conscious,” he said.
With three home runs a day, Noh is not only leading the league in home runs through nine days, but also in RBIs (71) and on-base percentage (.569). If he becomes the third Hanwha player to win the home run title, joining Jang Jong-hoon (1990-1992) and Kim Tae-gyun (2008), he could win his first regular season MVP award. He still needs to improve his batting average, but he could also become the second-youngest player in history to hit .329 with 32 homers and 114 RBIs at the age of 21, behind Doosan’s Lee Seung-yeop, who became the youngest player in history to hit 30-30 with 100 RBIs in 1997.
However, there are a lot of variables in his quest for the record, including Noh’s home run crown. The Hangzhou Asian Games will be held next month from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8. The 2023 KBO League will not stop during the Asian Games.
The baseball team for the Asian Games is composed of players who are 25 years old or younger or in their fourth year of professional baseball, with three wildcard spots for players who are 29 years old or younger. Unsurprisingly, Noh made the team, but his rival for the home run title, Choi Jeong-jeong, is in her 30s and cannot make the team. This means that the home run leaderboard could be switched if Choi is able to rack up a bunch of home runs while Noh wears the Korean flag in Hangzhou.
Noh also realizes that the Asian Games can make it difficult to win an individual title. “I don’t know if I will be able to win the home run title because of the Hangzhou Asian Games, so as much as possible, I will not think about my personal performance or awards, but will do my best in every game before joining the Asian Games team,” he said.
For Noh, it’s all about adding as many home runs as possible at this point in his career when he’s at the peak of his form. It’s not just the regular season MVP that’s at stake for Noh and the top home run hitter. Both players also play third base. Depending on who wins the home run title, the Golden Glove for third base will also change. It will be interesting to see if Noh can overcome the Asian Games to win the home run title, MVP, and Golden Glove for third base in his fifth year in the KBO.