Kia Tigers topped jersey marking sales last season. It wasn’t Yang Hyun-jong or Na Sung-beom.
It was Kim Do-young, a second-year player who joined the team in 2022.
He beat out all of the top seniors. Second was Na Sung-beom, third was Yang Hyun-jong, and fourth and fifth were Yoon Young-chul and Lee Yi-ri.
Finishing ahead of Na Sung-beom and Yang Hyun-jong is significant.
Yang Hyun-jong is a “franchise star” who has been a fan favorite for over 15 years since he debuted with KIA. He has established himself as a ‘one-club man’ and an ‘ace’.
Na Sung-beom is not the only ‘franchise star’ to have played for one team since his debut with KIA. 토토사이트 He made his debut with the NC Dinos and moved to Kia after reaching full bloom. However, Na Sung-beom, who is from Gwangju, is an ambitious player that Kia brought in with a huge contract of up to 15 billion won ($3 billion in incentives) for six years.
Kim Do-young, who surpassed all the big seniors, announced the birth of ‘Young Star’.
For fans who were expecting explosive growth from a young prospect, this is a confirmation of what he is.
Kia selected Kim Do-young with the first pick in the 2022 rookie draft after much deliberation. The team gave up on Moon Dong-joo (Hanwha), a pitcher who was a local favorite at the time.
His nickname, “Toolguy,” is well-deserved, as everyone in baseball agrees. With his strong shoulder, contact ability, long bat, and speed, he stands out in a world where rookie-level big hitters are rare.
This will be his third year. It’s time to really show.
After a rocky rookie season, it looked like he was finally breaking through last year, but injuries slowed him down. He fractured his foot in the first two games of the season and missed almost all of April and June.
Luckily, he returned sooner than expected and showed why he’s a big-time prospect with a string of big hits.
In October, the last month of the regular season, he hit .388 (21-for-54) with a monthly batting average of .849. The 2023 season was a clear indication that the hype wasn’t justified. However, the season was marred by another finger injury suffered in an international tournament.
Still, Kim is in a testing phase. 파워볼실시간 No one doubts his potential. However, it is in his third year as a professional that he needs to turn his doubts into conviction. The infielder has a long bat and quick feet. This is the kind of growth that the national team is desperate to see beyond Kia.