Kim Do-young improves at the plate, batting .303 with an OPS of .824
Choi Ji-min establishes himself as a must-win pitcher Yoon Young-chul fulfills his mission of starting five
The Kia Tigers
Finished the regular season in sixth place and did not receive an invitation to fall
baseball. But there were glimmers of hope in the darkness. It was a year where
highly touted prospects showed their potential.
The Tigers made a fierce push for a postseason berth down the stretch, but
couldn’t crack the top five. They were only one game behind the fifth-place
Doosan Bears. The team’s inability to utilize its full strength in the second half of
the season proved fatal as starters Na Sung-bum, Choi Hyung-woo, Park Chan-
ho, and Choi Won-joon went down with injuries in quick succession.
Despite the lack of satisfactory results this year, the fast growth of the younger
players, who have established themselves as key resources for the team, has been
a great harvest. 카지노사이트랭크 Infielder Kim Do-young and pitchers Choi Ji-
min and Yoon Young-cheol have proven their competitiveness in the first team.
Kim Do-young
Who joined KIA with the first pick in the 2022 Rookie Draft, made waves even
before his debut. He was immediately recognized for his offensive and base-running prowess in the exhibition games.
However, in 103 games last year, his rookie season, he hit just .237 with three
home runs, 19 RBIs, 13 doubles, and an OPS of 0.674. He was unable to
adequately respond to opposing pitchers’ seasoned operations and was very poor against changeups.
This year, Do-Young Kim has made significant strides at the plate. In 84 games, he
hit .303 with seven home runs, 47 RBIs, 25 doubles, and an OPS of 0.824. He
finished the season with a 3-for-4 performance in the final game of the season against the NC Dinos on April 17, driving in four runs.
Left-hander Choi Ji-min, the fifth overall pick in the second round last year, also
struggled in his first year in a KIA uniform. He was given the opportunity to start
six games, but he struggled, giving up nine runs on 12 hits (one home run) and
six walks in six innings. He had problems with his fastball, which was one of his
strongest pitches, and was no longer on the first team mound.
After working on her skills in the offseason, Choi improved both her velocity and
her pitches. As his confidence grew, he became a part of the winning team and
learned to dominate opposing batters. In 58 games, she finished with a record of 6-3, 3 saves, 12 holds, and a 2.12 ERA.
In recognition of his outstanding performance, Choi was named to the baseball
team for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. He pitched four scoreless innings of
relief in four games at the tournament, helping the team win the gold medal.
Yoon Young-chul
Who was selected by KIA with the second overall pick in the 2023 Rookie Draft,
also performed beyond expectations. After watching his gutsy pitching in spring
training and exhibition games, Kia selected him as the fifth starter.
In 25 games this year, Yoon has pitched 122⅔ innings and has made a name for himself with an 8-7 record and a 4.04 ERA.
Yoon’s trademark command of his pitches, including his slider, changeup, and a
variety of other pitches, has translated well to the professional level. This is
combined with a bold pitching style that doesn’t look like a rookie. He’s not a
fastball pitcher, but he has the potential to increase his velocity. 고스톱