Since 2009, his third professional season, Hwang Jae-gyun has been a third baseman, manning the hot corner for three different clubs in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) while making cameos at first base and shortstop. He also had a cup of coffee as third baseman for the San Francisco Giants.
At age 37 playing for the KT Wiz, Hwang is about to undergo a mid-career change. The Wiz signed an All-Star third baseman Heo Kyoung-min in free agency in November, and Heo, a more accomplished defender than Hwang and three years younger, will be the Wiz's new primary third baseman. The Wiz plan to turn Hwang into a utility man and ask him to play second base, shortstop and even an outfield position.
Because he had to take reps at multiple positions, Hwang said this year's spring training was different than previous camps. And he claimed Thursday he had no issues whatsoever with being moved around the diamond.
"I think I had a pretty satisfying camp, though it wasn't easy," Hwang told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, after arriving back from training camp in Japan. "As a professional athlete, I am supposed to do the best I can under the circumstances to prepare for a new season."
Hwang added he embraced the utility role because "I had to find a way to survive" in the KBO.
"I've braced myself for that change, and at the same time, I didn't want to feel stagnant," Hwang said. "I am confident I can win the competition for playing time, and hopefully, that will translate to good numbers."
Hwang said he didn't find either second base or shortstop overly challenging. Playing in the outfield, however, was a different animal.
"I could make catches in the outfield just fine, but when I threw, the ball didn't travel as far as I thought it would," Hwang said. "I asked my outfield teammates and they told me to use my legs more. I am used to making throws by flicking my wrist in the infield, but now I have to pay more attention to my legs when I play catch."
Last year, Hwang was officially listed as 96 kilograms. He said he has shed 12kg so that he could be nimble enough to handle multiple positions.
"I tried to reshape my body so that I could play whatever position I am asked," he said. "At the same time, I've been doing a ton of weight training. I don't think my weight loss will affect my power at the plate so much."
Hwang said he doesn't have any statistical goal for himself in 2025.
"I just want to be able to play every day," he said. "If I can stay healthy and learn how to play multiple positions, I will be able to fill whatever hole there is on the field every day."(Yonhap)
