Veteran catcher Kang Min-ho (39) of the Samsung Lions had a fiery blow for the month of July. He recorded a batting average of 0.408 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs from 76 times at bat in 20 games. He was named the first monthly MVP of his career (July) over the star and “Gwangju Monster” Kim Do-young (21, KIA Tigers).메이저놀이터
Ahead of the match against KIA in Gwangju on Tuesday, Kang said he had no secret. However, he admitted coach Park Jin-man’s “You take responsibility.” In the early days of this season, Kang thoroughly arranged his physical strength with his younger teammates including Lee Byung-hun. Manager Park Jin-man sought to maximize the use of Kang as a candidate for the next ranking match after the summer. Consequently, Samsung is competing for second place. The strategy worked.
Kang Min-ho said, “Obviously, after a season, some seasons don’t come out as much as you prepared, and some seasons come out as you prepared. But looking back on the past 20 years, I don’t think I tried to avoid difficult moments. I wanted to hide and run away, and I wanted to avoid it, but I thought that a good time would come without avoiding it, so a reversal occurred.”
After the MVP was announced in July on the morning of July 9, Kang received a congratulatory message from his wife. While talking with his wife about the joy of winning the prize, he naturally said, “Now I have one goal. Let’s go to the Korean Series. Then I don’t think I’ll have any regrets.”
He also mentioned his goal. Kang is the only player who has signed a contract with the FA three times, and he said he is aiming for his fourth contract. “My contract period is until next year, but you showed me your competitiveness… “This is my first time playing as a 4th FA. I think it might seem like my greed, but when I was young, all seniors I saw forced me to retire at the age of 40, not by force. There were too many seniors who resigned under the name of rebuilding the club. If I take good care of my health and become a 4th FA for younger juniors, I think the 4th FA can come out again. I want to set a good precedent like that.”
▲Top 15 FA contracts total (excluding non-FA multi-year contracts) / Korean Series winning experience
No. 1 Yang Eui-ji (Doosan)-27.7 billion won (12.5 billion won in 2019 + 15.2 billion won in 2023) – 2015-2016 Doosan-2020 NC
2nd place Kim Hyun-soo (LG) – 23 billion won (11.5 billion won in 2018 + 11.5 billion won in 2022) – 2015 Doosan
3rd place Choi Jeong (SSG) – 19.2 billion won (8.6 billion won in 2015 + 10.6 billion won in 2019) – 2018 SK-2022 SSG
4th place Kang Min-ho (Samsung) – 19.1 billion won (7.5 billion won in 2014 + 8 billion won in 2018 + 3.6 billion won in 2022)
5th place Lee Dae-ho (retired) – 17.6 billion won (15 billion won in 2017 + 2.6 billion won in 2021)
6th place Son Ah-seop (NC) – 16.2 billion won (9.8 billion won in 2017 + 6.4 billion won in 2022)
No. 7 Na Sung-beom (KIA)- 15 billion won (15 billion won in 2022)-2020 NC
8th place Hwang Jae-gyun (KT) – 14.8 billion won (8.8 billion won in 2018 + 6 billion won in 2022) – KT in 2021
9th place Choi Hyung-woo (KIA) – 14.7 billion won (10 billion won in 2017 + 4.7 billion won in 2021) – Samsung from 2011 to 2014, KIA from 2017
No. 10 Park Min-woo (NC) – 14 billion won (14 billion won in 2023) – 2020 NC
11th place Park Seok-min (retired) – 13 billion won (9.6 billion won in 2016 + 3.4 billion won in 2020) – Samsung from 2011 to 2014, NC from 2020
12th place An Chi-hong (Hanwha) – 12.8 billion won (5.6 billion won in 2020 + 7.2 billion won in 2024) – 2009 KIA
13th place Yang Hyun-jong (KIA) – 12.55 billion won (2.25 billion won in 2017 + 10.3 billion won in 2022) – 2009 and 2017 KIA
14th place Oh Ji-hwan (LG) – 12.4 billion won (12.4 billion won in 2024) – 2023 LG
15th place Jung Woo-ram (Hanwha) – 12.3 billion won (8.4 billion won in 2016 + 3.9 billion won in 2020) – 2007-2008 and 2010 SK
To Kang, the Korean Series is regrettable. He ranks fourth in terms of total FA contracts. He is the only player who has signed three contracts with the top 15 FA chaebol. The four times that he signed a contract with the top 15 FA chaebol is the history of the KBO. However, Kang is one of the three players who have never won the Korean Series in the top 15 FA chaebol along with Lee Dae-ho (the strongest baseball league) and Son Ah-seop (NC Dinos).
At least once, a top-class player of the FA conglomerate won the title with his outstanding performance, but Kang Min-ho did not even make it to the Korean Series, let alone win it. Lee Dae-ho and Son Ah-seop also had no experience playing in a single game in the Korean Series. Son Ah-seop made the playoffs last year, but withdrew from the stage just before the Korean Series.
Kang Min-ho will maintain his skills in the future, and if he signs another contract in the 2025-2026 FA market, the total amount of FA contracts will also jump. Kang signed with Lotte Giants for four years and 7.5 billion won in the 2013-2014 FA market, and with Samsung for four years and 8 billion won in the 2017-2018 FA market. And he signed with Samsung again for four years and 3.6 billion won in the 2021-2022 FA market. He will qualify again in the 2025-2026 FA market. Ahead of the 41-year-old season.
It is not known how much Kang Min-ho will be paid at that time, but he is expected to have a chance to overtake Kim Hyun-soo (LG Twins). In the case of Choi Jung (SSG Landers), his six-year 10.6 billion won contract will end after this season. Since he will sign an FA contract again, he is expected to widen the gap with Kang Min-ho for now.
If Kang wins the Korean Series and signs another free agent contract, what else can he hope for? There is one. “I don’t watch statistical records often, but I want to play in 2,500 games as a catcher,” he said. Kang played in 2,340 games through Sunday. He will easily break the record next year.