KIA coach Kim Jong-guk tried hard to maintain a bright tone while announcing the injury news (left calf muscle damage, up to 8 weeks absence) of Na Seong-beom (34), the team’s key hitter. Everyone knows that the difference between having and not having Na Seong-beom is enormous. However, coach Kim said he sees hope in the current game without Na Seong-beom.
Coach Kim said, “Still, when I look at the players, I see them working hard and trying to win. I think there is hope.” “First of all, the important thing is especially the young players. Wouldn’t it be,” he pointed out, pointing to the two players as promising players.
Hwang Dae-in (27) is a player that the team has been expecting a lot as a Uta geopo resource from the time of nomination and continues to develop. Last year, for the first time in his life, he played more than 100 first-team games (129 games) and recorded a batting average of 0.256, 14 home runs, and 91 RBIs. Byun Woo-hyeok (23) is another young right-handed hitter resource recruited through a trade with Hanwha ahead of this season. Expectations on Byun Woo-hyeok are not too high, enough to give two pitchers, Han Seung-hyuk and Jang Ji-su.
In fact, the two players were in an ongoing rivalry. It was clear that Hwang Dae-in, who was the first baseman last year, had priority, but Byun Woo-hyeok had a better sense of hitting in the Okinawa practice game and demonstration game. Byun Woo-hyuk trained more on third base defense during the Arizona camp, but from Okinawa he focused on first base. It is also one of the parts where you can get a glimpse of the competition between Hwang Dae-in and Byeon Woo-hyuk for first base. 메이저사이트
But now things have changed. As Kim Do-young missed a long time due to a left foot injury, third base also became empty. Manager Kim predicted the appearance, saying, “Ryu Ji-hyuk will play the main role, but Byun Woo-hyuk should also be used at third base.” In addition, with Na Seong-beom injured, Choi Hyung-woo, who was scheduled to play mainly as a designated hitter, increased his outfield defense. Initially, coach Kim planned to use Hyung-Woo Choi on defense for about 1-2 games a week, but now he predicted that the use of defense would increase more than that idea.
When Hyung-woo Choi goes to the outfield, Dae-in Hwang and Woo-hyuk Byun can share the first base and designated hitter spots. On the day Choi Hyeong-woo plays as a designated hitter, Byun Woo-hyeok can be moved to third base. It seems that the current KIA coaching staff’s idea is to somehow make room for all three players when forming an offensive lineup. It is also an inevitable choice to fill the offensive gap of Na Seong-beom and Kim Do-young.
In other words, the composition of Byun Woo-hyeok and Hwang Dae-in is highly likely to move from competing for first base to being together in the team’s batting line. I hope there will be a synergistic effect as there is something expected from both players. After Kim Do-young’s absence period was confirmed, coach Kim also said, “I think the two will continue to play together for a while, but I hope they continue to play together and create synergy. In the future, anyway, we have to do it with two young players.”