In the 2019 rookie draft, Hanwha unusually spent all three of its top picks on outfielders. With an aging outfield across the board, they needed to prepare for the next generation. With the first pick, they selected Byun Woo-hyuk, an infielder from Bukil High School, followed by Noh Si-hwan, an infielder from Gyeongnam High School, and Eu Eui-beom, an outfielder from Gwangju Il High School, in the second and third rounds. The three players, all born in 2000, were dubbed the “Byun No-yu Trio” by Hanwha fans.
Doosan Futures head coach Lee Jung-hoon, who was the head of Hanwha’s scouting team at the time, said, “I don’t think we need to worry about rebuilding the outfield for the time being. 안전놀이터 Byun Woo-hyuk was the best player in our region, and Noh Si-hwan is a player recognized by scouts from all 10 clubs. He has so many advantages that I personally see him higher than both of them at the Euros,” he said, confident in the success of the Byun-No-Yu trio.
Noh was the first to break out.
He had growing pains in his rookie year, but gained experience with the first team and took a step forward with double-digit home runs from 2020. In his fifth year, his potential exploded last year, as he batted .299 with 31 home runs, 101 RBIs, and a .929 OPS in 131 games (514-for-153). He led the league in home runs and RBIs, making him one of the most dominant sluggers in the league. He also showed his ability to bat fourth for the national team.
Byun Woo-hyuk, who was traded from Hanwha to KIA in November 2022, also saw potential in his new team. He struggled with limited opportunities with Hanwha due to a back injury, but in 83 games with KIA last year, he batted .222 with 45 runs (200 hits), seven home runs, 24 RBIs and a .664 OPS. Although his pace slowed in the second half of the year, he still showed his long arm by hitting impactful home runs off Won Tae-in (Samsung) and a game-winning shot off Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG).
This year, it was his turn to show something at the Euros.
A promising prospect with good tools in both offense and defense, Eui-jae suffered a right knee injury on August 11, 2021, while playing defense in a Futures League game against KIA in Seosan. He underwent surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament and rehabilitated, changing his name from Yoo Jang-hyuk to Eurhyul.
Despite the injury setback, he continued to gain experience and improve in the Futures League. In five seasons, he batted .344 (197-for-647) with 13 home runs, 97 RBIs and an .807 OPS in 186 games. He had his best season last year when he batted 33-for-62 (188-for-62) with six homers, 26 RBIs, and an OPS of .883 in 55 games, but he didn’t do much with the first team. In five seasons, he batted .408 with two home runs, 20 RBIs and an OPS of .408 in 159 games (303-for-45). Last year, he struggled in the first team, batting .340 with five home runs and an OPS of .340 in 27 games (48-for-78).
After the season, he played in the Miyazaki Education League in Japan
Followed by a wrap-up camp and a trip to Taiwan for the Asian Baseball Championship, and said, “The schedule was tough, but it was fun. I saw a lot of good pitches from Japanese pitchers in the training league and facing them was helpful. In the final camp, I practiced using the turn of my lower body to make a strong hit with head coach Jung Kyung-bae. In the national team, I was able to learn from my friends who hit well, such as Kim Bum-seok (LG) and Na Seung-yeop (Lotte). It was a good experience.”
In the Futures League, his long balls stood out, with three home runs in the last five games of the season. “I tried to put the (hitting point) in front of the plate so that the timing wasn’t too late, and the power transfer was good,” he said, adding, “I was disappointed that I didn’t do better in the first team. I think it’s my own fault. 안전한 파워볼사이트 This year I need to do much better than last year. I want to do it one by one with the goal of staying in the first team for a long time.”
The addition of veteran Kim Kang-min, who boasts one of the best outfield defenses in the game, is also a good thing for Euros, who can play all three outfield positions. “Kim Kang-min has a very good defense. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to play like that, but now that he’s here, I think I can learn from him,” he said, adding, “I’ll try not to get injured and show that I can play well in the first team this year.” It was time for him to show his growth in the second team to the first team.