Evolving. LG Twins’ Hong Chang-ki aims to be a batting champion.
Hong Chang-ki started at first base and in right field in the LG Twins’ 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League home game against the SSG Landers at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Saturday. He went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs, and three runs scored to lead the team to a 10-4 victory and a second straight win.
The performance put her atop the league batting leaderboard. On the season, he is batting .340 (453-for-154). He is closely followed by second-place Son Asub (NC), who is batting .339 (158-for-466). Hong also ranks first in runs scored (99), first in slugging percentage (0.454), second in on-base percentage (0.361), and third in hits.
In the bottom of the first inning, Hong led off with a single and stole second base. She then came home on Kim Hyun-soo’s grounder. It was a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, Park made a sliding catch to end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the second baseman produced an RBI single. It gave the team a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth inning, four runs were scored to make the score 3-4. Hong Chang-ki helped change the game in the bottom of the sixth. Facing Ko Hyo-joon with the bases loaded and no outs in seven at-bats, Hong hit a two-run double. 5-4, and the comeback was complete. LG scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead.
“I go into the batter’s box thinking that if I have a chance to score, I have to take care of it,” said Hong. “My coach told me (before the game against Ko Hyo-joon in the sixth inning), ‘Just time your fastball and hit the slider when it comes,’ and I think my changeup got a little bit of a crowd and I got a hit. It was really good. I didn’t even realize it,” he smiled. Hong Chang-ki took advantage of Ko Hyo-joon’s third pitch, a slider.
Hong has been hitting hot lately. In 12 games in September, he batted .478 (22-for-46). “I felt like I was falling off at the end of August, but I got better in September,” he said. The last four days off (Nov. 11-14) helped because I didn’t have a game in a row,” he said.
He didn’t realize he had become the top batting average right after the game ended. “I think it was because all the other stadiums weren’t playing. I don’t know how it will change again,” he said. When asked if she knew who her competitors were, she said, “I know. Even if I don’t look it up, everyone around me tells me,” he laughed.
“I’m not really thinking about it,” he said, “I don’t know the outcome until the end. I don’t know the outcome until the end, so I’m going to try my best,” he said, adding, “I met Park Yong-taek for a while today (Nov. 16), and he advised me to do it while I can. I think he said it because he wants me to be like him, so I’m trying to do better.”
He burst onto the scene in 2021 with the No. 1 on-base percentage (0.456). He quickly adopted the image of a hitter. “In the past, I didn’t just wait for the ball. I hit when I had a chance and when I had to,” he said. “This year, I’ve been creating a lot of chances in the seventh through ninth spots in the batting order, so I think that part of my game is coming into focus.” 소닉카지노
Her defense is also improving. She has made a number of great catches, including this one. “I think it’s a little bit better than before,” Hong said. “We have a lot of good outfielders on the team,” he said, “including (Park) Hae-min, who is a national center fielder and left fielder, and (Kim) Hyun-soo. I feel like I’ve gotten better because I’ve been training with my brothers and learning a lot from them,” he said humbly.
LG is on the verge of clinching the top spot in the regular season. They are currently leading with 72 wins, 2 draws, and 47 losses. They are six games behind second-place KT (67 wins, 3 draws, and 54 losses). Hong Chang-ki said, “The team atmosphere is really good. The older guys are leading the way, so the juniors just have to follow,” he said.