Why did KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul want Ahn Hyun-min to reach base more often in the Korean Series?

Lee wanted Ahn to get on base ahead of Sam Hilliard, who was in good form and had led the regular season with 139 RBIs. Lee said Ahn’s low on-base rate had left the Wiz offense without flow, even though the team recorded seven hits in its 5-1 loss the previous night.

What batting-order changes did KT Wiz make for Game 4 of the Korean Series?

After trying Kim Hyun-soo third and Ahn second on Friday, Lee returned to the Ahn-Hilliard-Kim trio in the middle of the order. He chose outfielder Jang Jin-hyuk as the new No. 2 hitter, citing his 2-for-2 record in a limited role during the series.

What would a Game 4 win mean for the KT Wiz in the Korean Series?

Lee said a win would shift momentum and make the series brand new. The Wiz were trailing the Samsung Lions 2-1 in the best-of-seven series before Game 4 in Daegu.

Wiz manager demands more from star slugger with team trailing in Korean Series

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Summary

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul called on slugger Ahn Hyun-min to reach base more often before Sam Hilliard as the Wiz trailed the Samsung Lions 2-1 in the Korean Series on Saturday in Daegu. Ahn was 2-for-13 through three games, and his.267 on-base percentage was below his marks from the previous two seasons. Lee changed the batting order for Game 4, putting Jang Jin-hyuk in the No. 2 spot. He said a win would shift momentum and make it a brand new series.

Key Facts

Ahn won the 2025 Korea Baseball Organization Rookie of the Year award after hitting 22 home runs and driving in 80 runs.
Despite injuries, Ahn hit 14 home runs in 94 games this year and had an on-base percentage above.440 in both seasons.
Sam Hilliard led the regular season with 139 RBIs and had three RBIs for the Wiz in the Korean Series.
Lee moved Kim Hyun-soo from fifth to third and Ahn to second for Friday’s game, then returned to the Ahn-Hilliard-Kim middle-order trio.
Jang Jin-hyuk had gone 2-for-2 in a limited role in the series before being named the new No. 2 hitter.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 7, 2026 3:19 pm KST

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul watches his team in action against the Samsung Lions during Game 2 of the Korean Series at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

DAEGU — With his KT Wiz trailing the Samsung Lions 2-1 in the best-of-seven Korean Series, manager Lee Kang-chul on Saturday demanded more from his All-Star slugger Ahn Hyun-min.

After three games, Ahn is just 2-for-13 with four strikeouts and two walks at the plate. He won the 2025 Rookie of the Year award in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) after hitting 22 homers and driving in 80 runs. This year, despite being slowed by injuries, Ahn still smacked 14 homers in 94 games.

In both years, he had an on-base percentage of over .440, including his league-leading mark of .448 in 2025.

His .267 on-base percentage in the Korean Series leaves a lot to be desired for the Wiz, especially because Ahn has batted in front of Sam Hilliard, the regular-season RBI leader with 139, who is also leading the Wiz with three RBIs in the Korean Series.

"Hilliard is in great form, but we need Hyun-min to get on base more often in front of him to give him RBI opportunities," Lee said before Game 4 of the series at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu. "Because Hyun-min is not reaching base much, our offense has lacked flow. We had seven hits last night and still lost (5-1)."

After putting Ahn in the No. 3 spot right in front of Hilliard in the first two games, Lee moved veteran Kim Hyun-soo from No. 5 to No. 3 for Friday's game while slotting Ahn into the second spot.

When those changes didn't work, Lee went back to the Ahn-Hilliard-Kim trio for the middle of the order. He will have a new No. 2 hitter in outfielder Jang Jin-hyuk, who has gone 2-for-2 in a limited role in this series.

"This is a really critical game for us. If we win tonight, then the momentum will shift, and it will be a brand new series for us," Lee said. "Hopefully, Jang Jin-hyuk will get on base for the big bats behind him, and we can score more runs that way."

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