Catcher Han Jun-su (25), who helped the KIA Tigers win the integrated championship, finally suffered from elimination from the national team.스포츠토토
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) confirmed and announced the final list of 28 Team Korea players to participate in the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 tournament on the 7th.
Four pitchers, a catcher, and an infielder were not listed on the final list. Pitchers Kim Si-hoon (NC), Um Sang-baek (KIA), Jeon Sang-hyun (KIA), Cho Min-seok (Sangmu), catcher Han Jun-su (KIA), and infielder Kim Young-woong (Samsung) suffered a setback after suffering a shoulder injury.
KBO explained, "We made the most of the tournament regulations that allow additional replacement of final entries until just before the opening of the tournament, and intensively checked each player's current performance to select the final participant."
Han Jun-su, who graduated from Gwangju Seoseok Elementary School, Gwangju Dongseong Middle School, and Gwangju Dongseong High School, joined Kia through the first round of nomination in 2018. After playing seven games in the 2019 season, he completed his mandatory military service while active in the military. Han Jun-su, who played 48 games in each of the 2023 season, also had the best year this season, seven years after joining the team.
Han Jun-su played in 115 games in the 2024 season, posting 22 doubles, seven homers, 41 RBIs and 39 runs, 21 walks and 48 strikeouts, a slugging percentage of 0.456, on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.357, an on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.267, and a pinch-hit batting average of 0.313. Notably, Han boasted outstanding contact ability in batting. He also showed remarkable growth in his ability to block and steal bases.
As KIA won the combined championship, Han immediately acquired the title of "winning catcher." He also had the pleasure of being selected as a preliminary entry for the national team. After the end of the Korean Series, he joined the national team training led by Ryu Joong-il with his teammates. At an exhibition game with Cuba, he played as a substitute and scored two RBIs. At an exhibition game with Sangmu on Saturday, Han was deployed as a substitute from the seventh inning, leading the pitching staff in a stable manner.
Unfortunately, however, Han did not make the final roster. "Hmm," Ryu said before the final training session at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Thursday, "It's actually good to have a lot of players gather and train them. However, it was very difficult to eliminate six players." He explained in detail why the pitchers were eliminated, saying, "I feel very sorry and regrettable." The remarks reflected the coach's agony.
Regarding the reason for Han Jun-su's absence, Ryu explained, "[Kim] Hyung-jun (NC) has experience in the national team, so it can be considered that he has been pushed back a little." A total of three catchers were called up for the preliminary entry of the national team. They were 34-year-old veterans Park Dong-won (LG), Kim Hyung-joon, and Han Jun-su. Kim Hyung-jun played as a home ground ma in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) held last year, and gained a lot of experience by leading Korea to the championship and the runner-up, respectively. In the end, the national team's coaching staff chose Kim Hyung-jun as the backup catcher with Park Dong-won holding out.
Although he was eliminated from the national team, it is no exaggeration to say that Han Jun-su's baseball life has just begun. There may be other opportunities to wear the national flag, such as the 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) and the 2028 LA Olympics. Attention is focusing on whether Han Jun-su will be able to grow into a better catcher based on this ordeal.