Basic ‘power’ is a player. For a long time, I had a hard time responding to the changing ball. This year is different. Technically nothing has changed much, but it has changed. I changed my ‘thought’ and it worked.

Lee Seong-gyu, whom we met at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, said, “I had a lot of worries about responding to the changing ball. It’s a style with a lot of original thoughts. But as I got buried there, my strengths disappeared. There was no active swing. The timing was too late for the fastball. After all, I am a spinning batter. ‘Let’s just spin the bat. I changed my mind to the idea that strikeouts are unavoidable.”

He continued, “As I go out one at-bat in each game, I think I have become smaller with the thought that ‘I have to produce results’. Of course, these are all excuses. Isn’t that the fate of a backup? Even that I have to overcome. If things go well, won’t you be more confident? It seems that there is some leeway in the at-bat,” he pointed out.

Lee Seong-gyu joined Samsung in 2016. He was called a ‘Geopo Prospect’. That’s why he had high expectations from the team. He hit 10 home runs in 98 games in the 2020 season and was evaluated as ‘finally starting to explode’.

However, he suffered an ankle injury while stepping on the ball incorrectly during defensive training ahead of the 2021 Opening Day. Since then, he has come up with an elbow injury. He did not play a single match for the first team. In the 2022 season, he came up to the first team again, but all 13 games were played. He left behind only a humble record of 0.074 batting average.

Looking forward to the 2023 season. In fact, Spring Camp started as Futures Camp. After that, he moved up to the 1st team. I finished tuning in the Okinawa practice game, and I am swinging a fire bat in the demonstration game.

He played 6 games until the 19th, and he is making a batting average of 0.556, 3 home runs and 5 RBIs, an on-base percentage of 0.556, a slugging percentage of 1.667, and an OPS of 2.223. Three home runs stand out. It is the only home run in the demonstration game. The 5 RBIs are the most on the team. On the 19th, he replaced Hyun-jun Kim and scored 3 hits, including a home run.

The offensive power is finally breathing fire. He was the first player to hit 10 home runs in a season. The power is certain. He didn’t fit right. In particular, he was helpless against the flowing slider and falling breaking ball. He was under a lot of stress. Now I have found some solution.

Lee Seong-gyu said, “(Oh) Jae-il said a lot of good things. Jaeil hyung said, ‘The timing goes back and forth. He said, ‘Get one point from when you hit and hit it. It’s helpful. When he hit 10 home runs in 2020, then he ran it recklessly. Afterwards, he studied a lot and asked hitters who hit well. Now, it seems to be going in with my thoughts to some extent,” he explained.

“Before, I used to swing recklessly. Now, I set my course to some extent and go to the plate. He turns when he comes to the course. He’s had fewer miss swings to some extent. The pitcher doesn’t matter. He comes into my course no matter who throws and he tries to hit with confidence. He became more confident,” he said.

The coaching staff also stepped in. Hitting coach Park Han-i and head coach Lee Byeong-gyu joined Lee Seong-gyu. “Coach Han-i Park and Byeong-gyu Lee said, ‘It’s too tight. Hit it like throwing a bat,’ he ordered. He tried to hit towards the center. Then, when the breaking ball came, I was able to endure it. He changed his mind,” he said.

There are other changes as well. It’s a defense. Affecting the attack. Manager Park Jin-man said, “I decided that it would be better to hit in the outfield. He is practicing all outfield positions. He explains that the depth is thicker.” Lee Seong-gyu also said, “I feel comfortable going to the outfield. He can focus more on hitting,” he laughed.

Mental is as important as skill or more than skill. Lee Seong-gyu proves it. Now he’s dreaming little by little. He said, “I am running with hope, holding the belief that ‘it becomes’. He is 31 years old (in Korean age) this year. It’s time for him to do well. It is not a situation to set a goal right away, ‘I will settle in the first team’. Getting into the opening entry is a top priority. I will think about the goal later,” he said vigorously.

He is a valuable ‘Uta Geopo’ resource even in the league as a whole. Not to mention within the Samsung team. If Lee Seong-gyu finally breaks the egg and settles down, Samsung’s ‘resurrection of the famous family’ can also gain momentum.안전놀이터 Manager Park Jin-man said, “The team is doing the swing they want. He went out confidently,” he said, showing his faith. Kim Hyeon-joon has been away for 3 months due to a hip bone fracture surgery. That’s why Lee Seong-gyu’s role became more important.