Can a big man be born to carry the team for the next decade or more? That’s what the Samsung Lions are hoping for with Kim Young-woong (21).
The Mulgeum-go native was Samsung’s top pick in the 2022 rookie draft. Along with his teammate Lee Jae-hyun (21), Kim Ji-chan (23), and Kim Hyun-joon (22), he was projected as the core of Samsung’s future offense.
Lee Jae-hyun was the first to break into the starting shortstop position, while Kim Young-woong’s development was relatively slow. He was given 91 at-bats in 55 games last year, but his batting average was below 2, and he was hampered by frequent nagging injuries.
But there was one thing that stood out. He has a scary swing. People in baseball used to say, “For a kid his age, he can play third base and shortstop, 안전놀이터 but his swing is more attractive than his defense.”
It came earlier than expected.
This year, Kim exploded with potential as the starting shortstop while Lee Jae-hyun recovered from shoulder surgery. He’s blowing up the league with a .940 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) with eight home runs and 22 RBIs. His eight home runs are tied for the eighth most in the league, along with Hanwha’s Noh Si-hwan and LG’s Austin Dean. Since his return, Lee Jae-hyun has been even more dominant at third base.
On Friday at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, manager Park Jin-man said, “There is a difference in the range of movement between shortstop and third base. Since Korea plays a lot of tactical baseball, the third baseman moves less than the shortstop,” Park said, adding, ”There is probably a physical advantage. Concentration is a big difference depending on physical strength. I think Kim Young-woong is probably hitting with more concentration than before.”
He hit eight home runs in 36 games, so more than 30 home runs is mathematically possible. The manager also said, “He’s on pace for 30 home runs. 온라인카지노사이트 I think I can do it if I stay healthy,” he said with a smile.
“This is my first full-time year. There will definitely be times during the season when I will struggle with my fitness. On the other hand, if he can get through those times, he’ll be way beyond what we expected him to be before the season. That’s why he’s playing so well right now.”