“I have to take over as shortstop in the future”.
One of the points to watch at the KIA Tigers’ Arizona spring camp is whether or not Kim Do-yeong (19), a second-year player, will make a leap forward. Last year, he ranked first in batting average in the exhibition game, receiving a lot of attention and even hearing the voice of a ‘genius rookie’. He played as a leadoff in the opening game in the midst of a packed crowd, but was humiliated with no hits. Eventually, within a month, he was pushed back as a backup man.
Director Kim Jong-guk continued to use him as a backup man. His feet are fast, his running ability is excellent, and his defense is gradually gaining a sense of stability. He gave a chance to play as a large runner and large defense. He even put his name in the starting lineup on occasion. He never missed out on a first-team entry. His hitting is also starting to show some adaptability. The 2023 annual salary also rose from 30 million won to 50 million won.
I haven’t taken off the backup tag yet. The starting pitcher at third base is Ryu Ji-hyeok. With the addition of Byun Woo-hyuk, a trade transfer student, the competition intensified. Manager Kim announced that he would use him as a third baseman and shortstop. At the same time, he expected, “When Kim Do-young becomes the main third baseman, it becomes a plus in many ways. If he does well in batting, he has defense and main power, so he will be of great help to the team.”
There is another reason for ordering Kim Do-young to become the starting player. He is a representative of the Asian Games. If it is a backup like last year, the Taegeuk mark is a sense of unwillingness. 먹튀검증 It is hope that if he improves his batting ability and becomes a starting player, he will be nominated for the national team leadoff. Manager Kim laughed, saying, “That’s why Doyoung should do well this year. The postponement of last year’s Asian Games is a great opportunity for Doyoung.”
Director Kim went one step further. It is a long term plan. He said, “I will use Doyoung as the third baseman for the time being, but he will have to play the shortstop in the future.” It means that the team will become stronger when he takes over as shortstop someday. This is a sketch of the infield in preparation for the successor of Kim Seon-bin, who turns 34 this year. When Kim Do-young plays shortstop, Park Chan-ho moves to second base. The 1st and 3rd base corner infields are a dream infield lined with giants such as Hwang Dae-in and Byeon Woo-hyuk.
To that extent, Doyoung Kim’s potential is limitless. If he jumps up and becomes the main character according to the director’s sketch, he is the best scenario. He creates tremendous synergies throughout the team’s offense and defense. His debut season was nothing short of yongdusami. He will be in a different mindset as he arrives at Arizona spring camp. If Kim Do-young’s second season is prosperous, KIA can become a strong player.