Kang Baek-ho reclaims his status as a 'baseball genius'

After fading from fans' memories, Kang Baek-ho of KT has reclaimed his status as a 'baseball genius.

Batting second in the lineup against Kiwoom, Kang Baek-ho went 2-for-5 with a solo shot in the third inning, one RBI, and two runs scored in the 6-2 win. It marked the 400th win for KT Manager Lee Kang-chul and the first victory for rookie pitcher Yook Cheong-myeong, who allowed only one run over five innings pitched.

A multi-position talent who has played pitcher, catcher, and outfielder since his days at Seoul High School, Kang Baek-ho was touted as the next big star after winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2018 with 29 home runs. However, after hitting 16 home runs and tallying 102 RBIs in 2021, he has fallen far from being considered a 'baseball genius' over the past two seasons.

Kang Baek-ho's fading star has been revitalized this year by taking on the role of catcher. He first donned the catcher's mask in the second half of the March 31 game against Hanwha due to an injury to the main catcher, Jang Sung-woo. Initially perceived as a one-time event, Kang Baek-ho's proficiency as a catcher surpassed everyone's expectations. Not only did he excel in catching, but he also displayed impressive blocking skills. Since then, Manager Lee has regularly deployed Kang as the starting catcher whenever Jang Sung-woo needs a break.

As Kang found his place on defense, he also found confidence in batting. After hitting just one home run in eight games in March, Kang hit nine home runs in 25 games in April, marking his first double-digit home run total in three seasons. As of Sunday, Kang is batting .327 with a league-leading 35 RBIs.


Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com