Kim In-hwan (Hanwha Eagles) is bouncing back from an early season slump.
The outfielder went 2-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, three RBIs and one run scored in the second game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the KIA Tigers at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on April 21.
Kim’s bat shined in scoring position. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning, Kim stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs and lined a single to right field. Lee Do-yoon, the third baseman, and Jung Eun-won, the second baseman, came home to complete the comeback.
Kim In-hwan’s bat was on fire in the bottom of the fifth inning, which was tied at 3-3. After leadoff hitter Lee Jin-young drew a walk, Kim In-hwan sent a fly ball down the right field line. With a runner on first, Lee stole third and sprinted home to score. It looked like an out, but Lee slid past catcher Shin Beom-soo and scored.먹튀검증
“I thought it was a close call, but (Lee) made a great slide,” Kim In-hwan, who had three RBIs, said after the game about Lee scoring in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“When I get a chance with runners on base, I think about hitting it as hard as I can and as accurately as I can,” Kim said of his three RBIs. “I’m also trying to gain more confidence. I think I’ve been getting good results lately because I’ve been hitting like that.”
Kim In-hwan also had a hit in the previous day’s matchup, batting second. He followed that up with two hits and three RBIs in the game. “I don’t feel any different batting second. “It’s better to get more at-bats, though, because you realize that you have to be more focused. I always want to hit one more time.”
It’s safe to say that last season was Kim’s breakout season. In 118 games, he hit .261 with 104 hits, 16 home runs, 54 RBIs, and a .722 OPS. However, this is not the same In-hwan Kim from last season.
In April, Kim hit .205 with a .561 OPS with eight hits, one home run, and one RBI. However, he got better and better, hitting 17 home runs in May and 19 in June. So far this season, he has 44 hits, three home runs, 21 RBIs, a .239 OPS and a .653 batting average.
“It’s definitely a little tougher than last year,” Kim said. I feel like it’s more difficult to face the opposing pitchers, so I don’t think I’m performing as well as I thought I would, but I’m trying to get through it. I think my hitting and balance have been good lately,” he reflected.
“I want to play better than last year, but I think it’s greed. I’ll try to do as well as I can,” he said, adding, “When I get greedy, something always goes wrong. I’m trying to clear my mind as much as possible and let go of greed. I’m trying to think a lot of positive thoughts.”