No Si-hwan of the Hanwha Eagles is experiencing a dramatic turnaround this season, posting vastly different numbers depending on his spot in the batting order. When hitting fourth, he managed just a .213 average with 1 home run and 9 RBIs. But after moving down one slot to the fifth spot, his production skyrocketed to a .364 average with 6 home runs and 15 RBIs.

On May 12, playing as the fifth hitter and third baseman against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome, No Si-hwan delivered a monster performance. He went 3-for-6 with 5 RBIs, including a grand slam, and scored once, leading his team to an 11-5 victory. The first inning alone set the table perfectly: Hwang Young-mook was hit by a pitch, Jonathan Peraza singled, and Kang Baek-ho walked to load the bases with one out. No Si-hwan attacked the first pitch—a 144 km/h fastball—and crushed it over the center-right fence for his third career grand slam, the sixth in the KBO this season.

Defensively, he also contributed, making a quick throw after fielding a hard grounder from Kwon Hyuk-bin in the third inning to help starter Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu personally came over to thank him.

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After striking out looking in the second inning, No Si-hwan came through again in the fourth with a two-run double to center-right off reliever Bae Dong-hyun, who was eventually pulled. Despite striking out three times, he never wasted RBI opportunities, recording a career-tying 5-RBI game for the first time since April 16 last season against the SSG Landers.

The early season slump was brutal: his average dropped to .157 and he was sent to the minors. But since returning, No Si-hwan has been a completely different hitter. Over 10 games in May, he is batting .364 with 6 home runs and 15 RBIs.

After the game, No Si-hwan credited his teammates. “Right from the start, the batters in front set it up perfectly for me. With the bases loaded, I just tried to be aggressive,” he said. “I thought the pitcher would try to get ahead with the first pitch, so I decided to swing. It worked out well. Honestly, I want to thank the guys batting ahead of me more than credit myself.”

The win extended Hanwha’s streak to three games, pulling them into a tie for sixth place, just one game behind fifth-place Doosan Bears. “Winning streaks feel great,” No said. “I knew I needed to hit well for the team to win, and I felt really sorry for struggling early on. There’s still a long season ahead, so I’ll keep my swing consistent and keep working hard.”

Mental factors were key to his revival. “Confidence is the biggest thing. When you’re struggling, you lose it in the batter’s box,” he explained. “You start overthinking and fighting yourself instead of the pitcher. Now I’m just swinging freely, focusing only on the pitcher, and that’s made the biggest difference.”

His resurgence also aligns perfectly with the team’s batting order shuffle. No Si-hwan, who had been the cleanup hitter since 2023, swapped spots with Kang Baek-ho—the league’s RBI leader—and the synergy has been electric. “Kang hyung is hitting so well and drawing walks. Because he’s so dangerous in scoring situations, pitchers often pitch around him, giving me more RBI chances,” No said. “The synergy is working. I’m grateful he keeps setting the table.”

No Si-hwan admitted he previously had pride in being the fourth hitter but now feels more comfortable in the fifth spot. “I used to have pride in being cleanup, but fifth is actually easier for me [laughs]. With Kang hyung in front, I get more RBI opportunities. I’m hitting well, so there’s no need to change.”

Despite the power surge, he isn’t fixated on home runs. “I just focus on making solid, hard contact. That’s probably why the homers keep coming,” he said. “I’m trying to approach it like a butterfly—float lightly and sting like a bee.”

After each home run, he continues to point at his belt—a gesture dedicated to teammate Moon Dong-ju, who is out for the season with an injury. “I’m wearing it with pride. I feel like Moon gave me his energy. He keeps telling me he’s proud and thankful to Kang hyung and me,” No said with a smile. “Every time I hit a homer, I make sure he’s watching. He messages me saying the belt has good luck. Maybe it helps steady my hips—I’m not sure if it’s mental, but it works. If the belt breaks, I’ll have to get a custom one made. The energy has to keep flowing.”

With the team surging, No Si-hwan is optimistic. “We’re playing well enough now. If we keep this up, I think we can go far. There’s nothing to fix. The pitchers are throwing well, the hitters are hitting—if we go on eight- or nine-game streaks, we’ll climb the standings. I’m not worried about the Hanwha Eagles,” he said. “Last year we started slow too, but once we got hot, we surged. When senior Chae Eun-seong and the injured players return, the team will be even stronger. Until then, we just need to hold the fort and we’ll make a run.”