After running and running, the gift of a 140% salary increase came to me.
Hwang Seong-bin of the Lotte Giants recorded a whopping 140% increase in the club’s annual salary contract announced on the afternoon of the 30th. He clearly gained motivation for the 2023 season, rising from an annual salary of 30 million won to 72 million won.
After Hwang Seong-bin was nominated by Lotte with the 44th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2020 KBO Rookie Draft, he was mentioned as a candidate for the rookie king, surviving to the end as well as appearing in the first team in the 2022 season.
Hwang Seong-bin, who played in 102 games, recorded a batting average of 0.294, 94 hits, 1 home run, 62 points, 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Considering Lotte’s 2022 season, which only stole 61 bases, 10 stolen bases is by no means small. Of course, this is the number one record on the team.
The 62 points also deserve attention. He is third on the team after Jeon Jun-woo (73 points) and Ahn Chi-hong (71 points). Compared to Jeon Jun-woo and Ahn Chi-hong, even if you look at various indicators such as at-bats, at-bats, hits, long hits, and on-base percentage, Hwang Seong-bin, who is significantly lower, is ranked at the top in scoring, which means that he has fast feet.
Hwang Seong-bin’s infield hit record, which can be called a trademark, has no competitors even if you look at the entire league. Among players with more than 300 plate appearances, 28 infield hits and 29.8% infield hit rate are all first (based on stats).
The speed at which other batters hit balls that are ground balls, and eventually score runs even on balls that are difficult to reach home. There are not a few scenes where Hwang Seong-bin’s witty play scored goals. With his presence, Lotte, the representative runner of bold baseball, was able to do even ‘ball baseball’.
Above all, it was consistent. It was his first first team season after his professional debut, but there were few ups and downs. Hwang Seong-bin, who recorded a batting average in the 30% range in May, finished June and July with a batting average of 20%. Although he experienced a severe slump at one time in August, he showed off his peak skills by recording a batting average of 0.375, 27 hits, 16 points, 4 RBIs, 2 steals, and an OPS of 0.860 over 21 games in September. 메이저놀이터
Of course, it was Hwang Seong-bin, who was lacking as much as it was his first season in the first team in his professional career. He exposed the insecurity of the outfield defense several times, and there were many situations in which excessive running base play led to an out. The 10 successful base steals are the highest in the team, but it is shabby when viewed as a whole. He also failed to steal 12 times among players with 300 or more plate appearances, also 1st. Compared to his quick feet, his stealth sense was disappointing.
However, you can’t be full on the first drink. Seongbin Hwang is now a rookie who has digested his first season. It’s rather great to have created your own territory in a new environment. That’s why Lotte also presented a huge salary increase rate of 140%.
Seongbin Hwang in the 2023 season will be faster. For Lotte, which has entered a new era after Lee Dae-ho’s retirement, it seems that he will be the lead-off.