30 home run hitter. That alone cannot explain Noh Si-hwan (22, Hanwha Eagles) in 2023.

Noh Si-hwan has a batting average of 0.302 this season, with 30 home runs and 96 RBIs (as of the 13th). He has good grades, but he’s not perfect. Although he is considered a candidate for MVP (Most Valuable Player), this is why he is evaluated as being relatively behind foreign pitcher Eric Peddie (NC Dinos).

The reason the performance is somewhat disappointing is because there were ups and downs during the season. After a hot exhibition game, there were few home runs in April. In May, he went from hitting a home run to going hitless in 43 at-bats. Afterwards, the stormy sections and quiet sections were repeated. In particular, after hitting his 29th gun on August 19th, he fell into ‘nine moves’ where he could not hit a home run for two weeks. Afterwards, he hit his 30th gun of the season on the 2nd, but there was no home run for more than 10 days again.

His ups and downs are rather evidence of growth. This year 메이저놀이터(544 at-bats) is the first time that Noh Si-hwan, who debuted in 2019, has had more than 500 at-bats. His year ended unfortunately due to poor performance and injuries. This is the first time in a season that he has fully experienced how to maintain and revive a good pace.

On the 11th, the Hanwha team released its own interview video to commemorate Noh Si-hwan’s achievement of 30 home runs. He recorded 30 home runs, but the key was the no-hit period in 43 at-bats. After getting off the no-hitter, Noh Si-hwan said in an interview with this newspaper, “This season, I pushed forward with what I could do. I thought, ‘Someday the day will come when I’ll get it right’ and held on,” he said. “If I had changed my batting form at that time, the no-hitter could have been broken sooner. However, “The bad feeling of hitting would have lasted a long time even after it was broken,” he said.

KBSN sports commentator Kim Tae-gyun supported his junior. He said, “When a slump comes, (players) feel like ‘Oh, something is wrong with their form’ and try to change. That’s why there are many players who become more broken. And the season ends in that broken state, and it repeats itself every year.” “Even though he was good, there were many who remained mediocre players,” he recalled.

On May 24, Noh Si-hwan broke his no-hit silence by hitting a home run off Jeong Hae-young in the bottom of the 9th inning against the KIA Tigers. He said, “The biggest help (to escape my slump) was from the coaches. I was strengthening myself, but I think having people around me help me like that made me a little stronger.”Becoming stronger is currently in progress. Even if there are no home runs, Noh Si-hwan is doing his part. Noh Si-hwan’s batting average in the last 10 games, with only one home run, is 0.349. He hit 10 doubles and also had 10 RBIs. The team also had a 6-game winning streak. This season leaves Noh Si-hwan with valuable experience.