KIA Tigers catcher Han Jun-su (25) is one of the contributors who contributed to the overall victory. He managed his weak home turf with his main player, Kim Tae-gun, and displayed batting performance not only in defense but also in the 30s, contributing to his win. After five years of wandering, he ended up with a call-up in the middle of the 2023 season, and is showing rapid growth to become the champion catcher at the first full time of the 2024 season. 토토사이트

It was nothing short of a hit product for KIA for two consecutive years. Although he was the first choice in 2018, he remained unknown until his completion of military service in February 2023. Perhaps he realized something while serving in the military, he lost 20 kilograms and returned to the military. As he had the potential to be a first choice candidate, he constantly played in the second division and displayed his talent, and after playing in the first division in June, he became a second catcher. 

As a backup catcher for Kim Tae-gun, he played 94 at-bats in 48 games, occasionally wearing a mask. His sharp hitting was impressive, and as he gradually improved his defense capability, he was evaluated as a key catcher of the future. Therefore, the 2024 season was important. He could never be a sparkly catcher once in a while. With the support of coach Lee Bum-ho, he gradually increased his chances to play. 

He proved his worth. He played in two to three games out of six games in a week, sharing chances to play with Kim. As a catcher in his second year, he showed improvement as he gained experience. He played in 115 games and played 316 at-bats for the season. He had a batting average of 370, seven homers and 41 RBIs, and posted an OPS of .807. This signaled the emergence of an offensive catcher who is highly skilled in hitting. 

There are still complementary points such as port and ball mixing, but his defense is also on the rise under the intensive guidance of battery coach Takeshi. He is also drawing attention to his elaborate batting performance in his batting average of 300. He only hit seven home runs, but he is said to be able to hit enough double-digit home runs in the future. If Han Jun-su wears a starting mask, the power of the lower batting line has increased significantly.

He even included the Korean Series entry, but failed to wear a starting mask. As it was a big game, veteran Kim Tae-gun played in five games. Kim led the team to the championship by hitting a grand slam in Game 4. He applauded his senior player's performance, but he also received a clear motivation along with the victory.

As well as valuable experience in his first full-time career in the first professional league, he felt a taste of professionalism in his income. Last year's salary was 50 million won (approx. It was a low salary for a seventh year. However, the raise was made thanks to his performance in the 2023 season. He also garnered a hefty winner's bonus. Now that he contributed to the victory, his salary in the 2025 season will likely exceed 100 million won (approx. It was a sweet benefit for a first-team player. 

Therefore, preparation for the 2025 season will likely be different. Now is the season when we need to strengthen our defense capability and take a leap forward in hitting. If Han Jun-su shows off the ability of the main catcher to succeed Kim Tae-gun, the possibility of KIA to become the top catcher will also increase. Attention is focusing on whether Han Jun-su will show off another evolution as the main catcher of the franchise.