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totositenet498   Image Posted Feb.9th, 2024, viewed 29 times

"The picture is the best."

"Idol" by SSG coach Lee Soo-yong is here. He is Ahn Sang-hyun (27), a ninth-year infielder. Since joining the Korean pro league, he has not displayed impressive performance in the first division. Expectations are high, but he has failed to crack the egg. The year 2024 is expected to be different. He has become stronger. At the same time, he caught the eye of the coach.

"I don't have much time left. I don't have much time left to play baseball," Ahn said when I met him in Florida, the U.S.A. "If I remain this way, I'm done. I have a different mindset this year."

"Should I say it's the end of the cliff? I'm thinking about quitting baseball if it's not this season. I've prepared for it and I'm doing it in the camp with that mindset. I haven't done anything right since I joined the pro league," he said.

Ahn Sang-hyun joined back in 2016. Third round pick of the rookie draft. Debut to the first team in 2018. Played just one game. In 2019, he played 65 games.

I went to Sangmu, and I was in the first team again in 2021. From 2021 to 2023, I played 37-46-58 games. I showed a decent performance as a backup based on my good defense.

The problem is attack. His overall batting average is 0.230. His highest batting average is 0.256 in 2021. Last year, he only had a batting average of 0.241 and an OPS of 0.595.

He also has a career batting average of 0.260 in the Futures League. For the 2022 season, he hit 0.363 in 21 games. He also had a good on-base percentage of 0.435. However, he only had a batting average of 0.158 in the first division.

All this time has passed. He spent eight years as a player with good defense but poor offense. He was once one of the best prospects in the team, but he is already in his mid-20s. Still, there is no clear position.

He is preparing for the year 2024. He has been working hard during the off-season. He is also "running" from the start in the spring camp. New coach Lee Sung-yong is talking about a "generational change." Second base, in particular, is an infinite race. He is blocking the jades from zero.

Ahn Sang-hyun came into the director's eyes. "I'm full of ambition. I swing hundreds of times every day. He does it even on rest days. I like playing now the best," he said with a smile. A student who works hard can't help but be happy.

Ahn said, "I am not neglecting defense and base running. Still, I am focusing almost all of my focus on hitting. I think I prepared well compared to the previous season. I trained almost without resting during the off-season."

"Something seems to be getting better every day. That's how I feel. I'm constantly turning the bat and checking my batting form. I'm paying attention to details. I'm looking for mine every day," he added.

He said he dreamed of becoming a "fixed member of the first team" in 2024. "I went back and forth between the first team and the Futures League. I want to continue playing full-time in the first team this year. I want to play my own baseball in the first team. I really want to play it."

Coach Lee Soo-yong vowed, "If I see a possibility, I will definitely give you a chance." Early in the camp, Ahn Sang-hyun made a clear impression. If this trend continues, Ahn Sang-hyun may be given the starting second baseman position at the start of the season. If not, there will be a chance in any way. It depends on how Ahn Sang-hyun saves it.

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