Hanwha Eagles shake up their batting order with star slugger Kang Baek-ho slotted as the leadoff hitter for the first time since his free-agent signing. This marks a key adjustment ahead of their clash with the SSG Landers.
The matchup unfolds on the 30th at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon. Veteran starter Ryu Hyun-jin takes the hill for Hanwha, facing off against promising right-hander Kim Geon-woo for SSG.
Kang Baek-ho’s Return to the Top Spot
Kang Baek-ho last batted leadoff 275 days ago, on July 29 against LG at Jamsil while with KT Wiz. Previously, Hanwha relied on Oh Jae-won and Lee Won-seok in the top slot amid lineup experiments, but recent slumps prompted the switch to the dynamic Kang.
Manager Kim Kyung-moon shared his rationale: “I worried at first about this move, but Won-seok started strong only to rack up errors later. It’s a welcome change now. Many strikeouts in the 1-3 holes led to this lineup call on my end.”
Full Lineup Breakdown
Hanwha builds around Kang Baek-ho at designated hitter, Peraza in right field, No Si-hwan at third base, and Chae Eun-seong anchoring first base.
- 1B: Chae Eun-seong
- 2B: Ha Ju-seok
- SS: Lee Do-yoon
- C: Choi Jae-hoon
- CF: Lee Won-seok
Outfielder Shim Woo-jun secures a starting role in excellent form. He crushed a pinch-hit homer in the prior game on the 29th, signaling his readiness.
Kim Kyung-moon added: “Stats confirm it fits my style perfectly. Nerves might cause swings and misses today, but his second-half surge offers solid upside for tweaks.”
