{
  "id": 17929534,
  "title": "Wiz slugger Ahn Hyun-min itching to make Korean Series debut",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/wiz-slugger-ahn-hyun-min-itching-to-make-korean-series-debut",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-03T07:52:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20261103/wiz-slugger-ahn-hyun-min-itching-to-make-korean-series-debut"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Following their first-place finish in the regular season, the KT Wiz secured a bye into the Korean Series, granting them three weeks of rest and practice. Since their last regular-season game on October 12, the team has been idle, and with the Korean Series opener against the Samsung Lions scheduled for Tuesday at their home stadium in Suwon, Ahn Hyun-min, the Wiz's slugger, expressed his eagerness to finally take the field. \"I am tired of waiting,\" Ahn stated during a pregame media scrum at KT Wiz Park, just an hour before the 6:30 p.m. first pitch. \"Even these next three hours will be a pain. It is about time we played. I feel like we just had another round of training camp while we were waiting.\"\n\nThe 22-year-old, who earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2025 after hitting 22 home runs in 112 games, had been limited to 14 homers in 94 games during his injury-prone sophomore season. The regular outfielder will don the designated hitter role for Tuesday's game. Ahn commented on the team's preparation, saying, \"With all the time off we had, I think we are as well prepared as we can be.\" However, he admitted to feeling anxious, confessing, \"I am not sure being this anxious is healthy.\"",
  "summary": "By virtue of finishing first in the regular season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the KT Wiz earned themselves a bye to the Korean Series and, with that, three weeks to rest and practice. They have not played since their final regular-season contest on Oct. 12. And with the Korean Series opener against the Samsung Lions set for Tuesday at their home stadium in Suwon, just south of…",
  "key_points": [
    "KT Wiz rests three weeks before Korean Series opener",
    "Ahn Hyun-min, 22, wants to debut in Korean Series",
    "DHT player feels anxious ahead of game"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The extended hiatus from regular-season play shifts the focus from physical conditioning to managing the mental restlessness of key players like Ahn Hyun-min ahead of the championship opener.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Wiz slugger Ahn Hyun-min itching to make Korean Series debut",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/wiz-slugger-ahn-hyun-min-itching-to-make-korean-series-debut-17932443",
        "published": "2026-11-03T07:31:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}