KIA No. 2 catcher, first full-time challenge

Kia Tigers catcher Han Jun-su (25) is drawing keen attention to whether he will succeed at full-time for the first time since his debut. He was a promising player who received the first nomination in 2018, but he only played 20 times in seven matches in 2019. He was often called a genius during his student days, but he failed to stand out in the professional leagues and spent only a wandering time before joining the army. 

After completing active duty in 2023, he returned to the team in a completely different fashion. He lost 20 kilograms and participated in the second division camp. The opening game also started in the second division, but when catchers from the second division, including Shin Bum-soo and Kim Sun-woo, were promoted to the first division, they almost always wore catchers' masks as key players. He showed his potential throughout the game. He began to improve his skills and finally got the call-up for the first division on June 25. 

It was the beginning of Han's dramatic career, which was not included in the 2023 catcher's list. He was not nervous even though he had 20 at-bats in seven games. His defense was better than expected. His bat showed off power and sophistication. He hit home runs, had multi hits, and even had multi RBIs. He stayed in the first division for 115 days until the end of the season. 

He played 94 times at bat in 48 games, posting 256 six hits, two homers, 12 RBIs and nine runs scored, and posted an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.684. He also served as the second catcher supporting Kim Tae-gun, a veteran player whom he acquired through trade. He also played as an exclusive catcher for rookie Yoon Young-chul. He made his name known only in the sixth year after joining the team. It was recognized as a hit product in 2023. 

As Han Jun-su displayed slower potential, Kia's catcher team took off the "risk position." As Han suddenly showed up defense and hitting capabilities, the team was able to establish a stable and solid catcher along with Kim Tae-gun. Han Seung-taek and Joo Hyo-sang, who were the starting pitchers of the team last year, were even left behind. Fans are also welcoming the emergence of franchise catchers for the first time in a long time since coach Kim Sang-hoon. 

The team sought stability of its catcher through a three-year, multi-year contract with Kim Tae-gun. At the same time, Han is hoping to make a leap forward as the main catcher during this period. Not satisfied with last year's performance, Han challenged himself to the first division full-time. He needs to play full-time to be recognized for his capability. Still, he needs to gain more experience as a catcher and analyze other hitters more. Of course, he needs to learn a lot from injury management.

This year, he has to secure more opportunities to play than last year. Four catchers participated in the Canberra spring camp in Australia. Kim Tae-gun is still the mainstay. Han is now in competition with veteran Han Seung-taek, Joo Hyo-sang, for one spot. We cannot be complacent about this situation. He is learning a lot from Takeshi, who served as a battery coach since last year's closing camp in Okinawa. Expectations are high for his team to make significant improvements in defense.

Notably, Kia's batting performance is drawing keen attention. Although Kia's batting lineup is evaluated as one of the best in the league, its catcher has the lowest batting average. If the catcher's batting average is around 250 percent, it doesn't mean that the catcher is the lowest. However, Han Jun-su is equipped with batting ability. Some predict that if he acquires experience, he can reach the .300 level. If he plays above the .27 percent level, if not .300, Kia's lineup will be even scarier. This also means that if Han succeeds in full-time, Kia will become stronger.

BY: 토토사이트 순위