I was frustrated that baseball wasn’t going my way. But there is no giving up. Jang Jun-won (28-KT) said, “Even though I’m not good, I keep getting opportunities. I will definitely do well and produce results,” he said.
Jang made his debut with LG in 2015 and joined KT via trade last year. He seemed to have secured a spot in the starting lineup, but after about two 먹튀검증 months, he suffered an injury. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was out for the season. After a long rehabilitation, he returned to the first team on March 16. He filled in for injured third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun and helped stabilize shortstop Kim Sang-soo, but the hitting didn’t come easily. In 14 games in May, he had just one hit and one RBI in 26 at-bats.
“I took a long break,” Jang said. I thought my body wouldn’t move the way it used to, so I increased my training volume and tried to improve my hitting quickly. “I wanted to do well, but I couldn’t even get a good at-bat, let alone a hit,” he said. I felt like I was becoming passive at the plate,” he recalls.
Since June, he has been producing meaningful results. On June 10, he hit a huge two-run double against Kiwoom. It scored the first run for the team, which was down 0-5. The team eventually lost 2-5, but it was a good turning point for Jang.
On the 17th, Samsung Electronics scored the game-winning run. Down 2-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, he hit a huge double over the right field fence. It brought in all three of Nusang’s runners, giving him three RBIs. It was a quick 5-3 lead. KT went on to win 6-5, extending its winning streak to four games. Jang Jun-won also went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI for Samsung Electronics (5-7) on June 18. He is now batting .278 (5-for-18) with five RBIs in 12 games in June.
Jang said, “My hitting mechanics haven’t been good. I felt like I couldn’t make a complete swing,” he said, adding, “I believe that if I make hits like this step by step, more good hits will come.” “I’m grateful to coach Lee (Kang-cheol Lee) for letting me play even though I couldn’t do it. I have to perform as well as he gives me the opportunity,” he said, adding, “I will improve my hitting. I’ll do my best.”