After going through independent leagues and entertainment programs, he became a key player in any professional team. Hwang Young-mook (25) of the Hanwha Eagles, a rookie in the middle and high school, achieved a batting average of .300 and 100 hits simultaneously in his first year of debut.
Hwang started the game against the Lotte Giants of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on Monday, and recorded three hits, one RBI and one run from five times at bat. The Hanwha Eagles beat the Lotte Giants 8-4 on leadoff Hwang Young-mook’s stellar performance and starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin’s one run in six innings to escape the five-game losing streak.
Hanwha, which had slumped to eighth place due to poor performance in recent months, sought to rebound against Lotte in seventh place. However, it was not easy early in the game. Amid a tight race between pitchers, the team was dragged to 0-1 by allowing a run due to Lee Do-yoon’s error in the bottom of the second inning. Hwang Young-mook also garnered regret by leaving the first batter’s box with a grounder to the first base and strikeout.
Hwang showed a different performance from his third at-bat in the top of the sixth inning. With the ball count 0-1, one out and one on the first base, he swung Park’s second slider and connected it to a midfielder hit. Afterwards, Hanwha turned the tables with back-to-back RBI singles by Jonathan Peraza and Noh Si-hwan.
Hwang Young-mook was the troubleshooter in the seventh inning when Hanwha was leading 2-1. With the ball count at 1-0, with two outs and runners on the first and third bases occupied, he hit Jin Hae-soo’s second slider at the left-handed side, making a timely hit. He also homered when pinch hitter An Chi-hong had a two-run double, adding a run. With Peraza’s two-run shot at the seventh inning, Hanwha scored five runs after two outs, solidifying its 7-1 victory.
Hwang Young-mook, who had multiple hits, completed a three-hit game at his last at bat. With the Hanwha Eagles leading 7-4, he hit Jin’s third slider at the ninth inning, with the ball count at first base, 1-1, to create a single to right left field.
After suffering a slump with a batting average of .200 (four hits in 20 times at bat) in September, Hwang successfully rebounded by making three hits in the game against Lotte on Sunday. His monthly batting average increased significantly to .280 (seven hits in 25 times at bat), and his batting average for this season recovered to .30 exactly from the previous 0.296, smiling broadly.
What is most valuable is a record of hits. Hwang, who had 93 hits through August, only added four hits in nine games in September. Fortunately, he garnered the last three hits through the game against Lotte on Saturday, and secured the 100th hit mark in his first year since his debut.
Hwang Young-mook, who suffered from unknown pain in the 2018 KBO League Rookie Draft, dropped out of college and turned to an independent league. After completing his active military service at a young age, he dreamed of becoming a professional player while working on the independent league stage. 메이저놀이터
Hwang has increased his public profile by appearing on KBS1’s “Youth Baseball Team: Still Not Out” in 2022 and JTBC’s “The Greatest Baseball Team” in 2023. He left strong impressions with his sophisticated hitting and stable defense in both programs. Hwang, who showed a desperate performance at every moment, tried again for the first time in six years last fall, and finally achieved his dream by being selected by Hanwha as the 31st overall pick in the fourth round.
This season, Hwang has a batting average of 0.300 (100 hits in 333 at-bats), three homers, 34 RBIs, 48 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.730 in 112 games. He is considered one of the best rookies this year along with Kim Taek-yeon, a high school graduate who recorded 17 saves. Hanwha, which had agonized over its infield center line up until now, will have a strong infield commander as Hwang Young-mook quickly settled down as the starting pitcher.
The seventh-ranked Hanwha Eagles (61-69-2 draw) trailed the fifth-ranked Doosan Bears (65-66-2 draw) by 3.5 games after winning the game against Lotte. Attention is focusing on whether Hanwha, along with leadoff Hwang Young-mook, will be able to fulfill its desperate wish to advance to the autumn baseball league for the first time in six years.