It’s okay if it’s a little slow. What is clear is that he was selected as the hitter MVP (Most Valuable Player) at the last spring camp in Tucson, Arizona, USA, raising expectations for this season. This is the story of Cheon Jae-hwan (29), a rookie in the 7th year of NC, who has filled his batting confidence with his unique sincerity. Can the 2023 season be remembered as a stage of opportunity and a year of leap for him who has shown remarkable growth?
In the ongoing KBO league demonstration game, the skills shown at the camp are not coming out. He participated in 7 demonstration games and recorded 2 hits in 20 at-bats with a batting average of 0.100, which was a poor performance. It’s a little slow, but it’s warming up. During the field training, he proved his potential by recording 8 hits in 19 at-bats, 1 home run, 4 RBIs, and a batting average of 0.421, including the match against Cheongbaek and the evaluation match. In the midst of fierce competition in the NC outfield, there is a good chance that it will become a strong support as a backup axis.
The demonstration game was just a skirmish, and the main game hadn’t even started. There is still plenty of time to show the growth from the last camp. At the Tucson Camp in Arizona, USA, Chun Jae-hwan said, “I had locked myself up and had a lot of bad thoughts, but I made up my mind to change this camp. As that part improved a lot, baseball increased and I learned a lot,” he said. Thanks to that, I gained a lot of confidence, so I will be able to show a good image during the season.”
Competition in the NC outfield this year is fierce. New foreign hitter Jason Martin (28), including veterans Son A-seop (35) and Park Gun-woo (33), are holding out. Here are Kim Seong-wook (30), who was discharged from the military, and Han Seok-hyun (29), who joined as a free agent for Futures. They are a good motivation to show Cheon Jae-hwan his presence.
Chun Jae-hwan said, “It would be a lie if I said I didn’t care about outfield competition. Competition has always been. I don’t know if he’ll play as a starting pitcher or a backup. However, this year, I am focusing more on myself rather than competition,” he said. “I tried to improve my stamina and baseball sense. His stamina has been raised to a satisfactory level, but his baseball sense seems to be lacking. He will fill in with more confidence for the rest of the season. I will seize the opportunity when it comes,” he said vigorously.
NC was evaluated as having weakened its power as many of its existing members left as free agents throughout the winter. This is also the reason why some are classifying it as a low-ranking power this year. But it can be an opportunity for backups or younger players. Chun Jae-hwan said, “It can motivate young players and backup players. Of course, we cannot erase the void left by the seniors who left the team, but if the backup players show a lot of activity like KT and the last spring training match, we will be able to fill it.”
His goal is also clear. Hitting double digits or higher in home runs and stolen bases. He also revealed a strong will to repay the fans with a performance that goes beyond sincerity. Chun Jae-hwan said, “Actually, I haven’t shown anything in the first team yet.메이저놀이터 So, he said, “My goal is to enter the first team this year and record more than double-digit home runs and stolen bases.” He promised to repay the fans with better performances on the ground by trying to be seen a lot in the first team.”