Doosan Bears’ Yang Seok-hwan (33), a first-time team captain, has set his sights on 30 home runs this year.
After joining LG in the third round (28th overall) of the 2014 Rookie Draft, Yang was touted as a big-bat prospect in Jamsil, where he hit tons of balls over the fence. After playing for LG until 2020, Yang was traded to Doosan in 2021. After reaching his full potential with Doosan and hitting 20 home runs for three straight years, Yang became a free agent after last season and agreed to a 4+2-year, $7.8 billion contract with Doosan. It was the largest free agent contract signed last winter.
Yang, who batted .265 with 122 home runs, 499 RBIs and a .758 OPS in 897 games (3024-for-801) in the KBO, said during his arrival interview at Incheon International Airport on Nov. 19, “The weather was great in Australia. I think it was a satisfying camp both individually and as a team because all the players were able to move on to the second camp without any major injuries. There are a lot of young players, so I thought it would be good to have a bright atmosphere, but in that regard, I think the younger guys followed along well, so we were able to finish the first spring camp in a good mood,” said Yang.
Yang Seok-hwan, who is the captain of the Doosan squad this season
He said, “I think we have to lead by example and the atmosphere is a little different. I think we need to take care of a lot of things. The juniors haven’t changed noticeably. They know my personality, so they’re doing a good job. But I think they’re a little bit more aware than before,” he laughed.
When asked if he took his juniors out to eat to commemorate his signing, Yang, who became the biggest free agent signing last winter, said, “I don’t think I’m the first to ask them to eat. If there are juniors who ask me to buy them rice, I buy them a lot of rice,” he said. He continued, “I think it might make them feel uncomfortable if I buy rice first. I’m also cautious because their ideas are different from my generation,” he added. 스포츠토토 Among the players he’s most concerned about are Choi Won-joon, Kim In-tae, and Kang Seung-ho.
“Last year, I only played one fall baseball game, which was very disappointing. This year, I want to enjoy the festival,” said Yang Seok-hwan. “I don’t think it’s too good if the results are too good right now. From camp to the exhibition game, we will focus on the process rather than the result, and I will convey to the players that they should be careful because injuries may occur during the actual game.”
Yang, who is now in his ninth season with the first team
He said, “It’s true that it’s time to avoid injuries rather than improve technically. But in fact, players are all greedy, so I think no matter how good a player is, they want to improve. I’m the same way,” he said, revealing his desire to perform better this season.
Yang has always set his sights on 30 home runs, and his 28 home runs in 2021 are the most in a single season in his career. “I’m aiming for 30 home runs and 100 RBIs again this year,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to push myself to hit home runs this year. I tried it last year and changed my mind. I think it’s a good hit even if it’s just a hard hit, and there’s a lot of room,” he said, explaining that this year he will focus on pulling balls to capitalize on his strengths.