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| KIA Tigers' team left for Irvine, California, USA, where spring camp was set up at Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 23rd. Kim Do-young is making a hand heart in an interview before leaving the country. Incheon Airport = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.1.23/ |
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| photo courtesy of the KIA Tigers |
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| photo courtesy of the KIA Tigers |
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· Team batting average of 311 Lee, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, most hits, OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) No. 1 and home run No. 3. The KIA Tigers' batting lineup in 2024 was 'horror' itself.
Starting with MVP Kim Do-young, there were four hitters each with 20 home runs and a batting average of over 300. The division of roles between the table setter and the centerline was also perfect. A timely hit poured in regardless of the upper and lower hit lines. It was the driving force behind his victory last year.
Will we be able to show a more strengthened performance this year. Above all, there is an intense power reinforcement element. It is Patrick Wisdom, the new foreign hitter.
Socrates, who has been a foreign hitter at KIA for the past three years, was a hot hitter. He was a compliant outfielder with 63 home runs, a long-range average of 20 home runs per year, relatively fast feet and defensive range.
On the other hand, the hit fell short of expectations little by little. OPS Career High was 0.875 last year (26 home runs), and there has never been a season that exceeded 0.9. Considering that Lotte Giants Reyes (15 home runs) with a strong "tick" image is 0.904 and Herredia (21 home runs) is 0.937, it is true that he lacked long-shot power.
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| Socrates.Sports Chosun DB |
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When Kim Do-young hit his potential with 38 home runs and 40 steals last year, the regret over the foreign hitter's 'one shot' grew. If a solid big shot had backed Kim Do-young, the first 40-40 might have come out since Eric Thames (former NC Dinos) in 2015.
Therefore, KIA recruited Wisdom, whose power was proven in the major league stage, instead of Socrates this year.
Last year, KIA's clean-up trio hit a total of 63 home runs. He hit 28 home runs (Kim Do-young 24) in the third batting order, 24 (Choi Hyung-woo 21) in the fourth, and 11 (Socratic 6) in the fifth batting order.
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| The 2024 KBO Golden Glove Awards ceremony was held at the COEX Auditorium in Samseong-dong, Seoul on the afternoon of the 13th. Kim Do-young wins the Golden Glove 3rd baseman category. Samseong-dong = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.12.13/ |
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This season, Kim Do-young is more likely to be used as a clean-up trio, especially the third hitter, rather than a table setter. The clean-up of Kim Do-young, Wisdom, and Na Sung-beom (Choi Hyung-woo) is the most likely.
Last year, Kim Do-young played the most in the third batting order (380), hitting four at No. 1, nine at No. 2, and 24 at No. 3. If Kim Do-young shows a similar slugging power this year, 100 clean-up home runs is not a dream.
Even considering Na Sung-bum's reduced slugging power after KIA's transfer, arithmetically, 35-40-25 home runs are possible. In the end, it depends on whether Kim Do-young continues last year's momentum or whether Wisdom will become the fourth hitter who shows the clear weight and slugging power that KIA wanted.
Kia is also the No. 1 favorite this year. The preparations to become the defending champion are over. All that's left is to show.
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| photo courtesy of the KIA Tigers |
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
