# Kiwoom Jang Jae-young, ‘turned into a hitter’ “I will take on my final challenge without regrets”

He joined the team as a promising pitcher who throws fastballs After a slump and injury, he converted to a hitter and hit his first home run in just 3 games “I still don’t have any strengths as a hitter, I need to prepare better”

Professional baseball Kiwoom Heroes' Jang Jae-young (22) has started a new survival competition at the plate instead of the familiar mound. Starting again with a rookie's mind, he is whipping himself, saying, "I have to become a player who can compete with other outfielders[.](https://www.totosite.one
)"

Holding a bat, he has been receiving as much attention in professional baseball recently as when he signed with Kiwoom as a pitcher in 2021 with a signing bonus of 900 million won[.](https://telegra.ph/15-hit-explosion-powers-KIA-to-5th-straight-win-over-NC-Peddie-09-03)

Although the gazes of those around him are familiar, the sight of himself holding a bat is still a little unfamiliar. Jang Jae-young, whom we met recently at Kiwoom's home stadium, Gocheok Sky Dome, said, "People still say that pitchers just seem to be fielders. I still feel that way sometimes and it's awkward. I think I need to train more."

Jang Jae-young was a top prospect who drew attention in high school for throwing fastballs in the 150 km/h range. Contrary to expectations, he failed to stand out after entering the pros. He appeared in 56 games, recording only 1 win, 6 losses, and an ERA of 6.45. While striking out 100 batters, he walked 97 batters and hit 12 pitches, showing his control instability every time[.](https://telegra.ph/Figure-Kim-Hyun-gyeom-takes-second-in-short-at-first-Junior-Grand-Prix-of-the-season-09-03) He

also suffered an elbow injury before this season. As his slump continued, he decided to convert to a hitter after consulting with his team last month, opening a new page in his baseball career. After transforming

into a hitter, he played in 19 games in the Futures (2nd team) League and gained a feel for the game. Although his accuracy was not high with a batting average of 0.232 (16 hits in 69 at-bats), he hit 5 home runs, demonstrating his ability to hit long balls. He

was called up to the first team as a hitter for the first time before the game against the Hanwha Eagles on the 20th. And on this day, he hit a double against Hanwha's fastball pitcher Moon Dong-joo, and had a 'batter's debut' with 1 hit and 2 walks. On the 21st, which was the first game of the weekend 3-game series against Lotte Giants, he went 0-for-4, but the next day, he hit his first home run against Lotte's Aaron Wilkerson. However, in the last game of the weekend 3-game series against Lotte on the 23rd, he suffered a bitter taste by striking out 4 times. He showed his potential as a batter, but he also experienced trial and error. He gave a cool evaluation of 'batter Jang Jae-young', saying, "Just like he had a fastball when he was a pitcher, he doesn't seem to have much to show off at the plate yet." He also tightened his tension, saying, "I need to prepare better to develop that strength." When he was a promising pitcher, he dreamed of being the 1st or 2nd starter along with his teammate Ahn Woo-jin, but now he has put aside even setting such a big goal[.](https://telegra.ph/2023-KBO-surpasses-6-million-fans-for-second-consecutive-year-despite-heatwave-and-frequent-rains-09-03) For now, his realistic goal is to stay in the first team. Jang Jae-young, who said, “I need to adapt to the first team as much as possible so that I don’t fall behind the other players,” emphasized, “Right now, I need to become a good player who can compete with other outfielders rather than a big goal.” The fact that he has nowhere else to retreat is also a great motivation for him. Jang Jae-young said, “I really need to do better now. Since I switched from being a pitcher to a hitter, in a way, this is the last challenge I can take on. I’m going to work really hard without regrets.” He added, “I started (as a hitter) later than others, and I lack training and experience. In order to adapt, I have no choice but to work harder. Even if my body is tired, I will train more and adapt.” [토토사이트 추천](https://www.sportstoto.link
)