Kim Jong-kook initially used Kim Do-young, who was learning to play second base in the second team, at third base to maximize his batting strengths and reduce his defensive burden. However, it may take time for both Kim Do-young and Na Seong-beom to develop their skills on a consistent basis. Even if it seems like there is no need to adjust to the first team, there are often no significant changes in the season graphs of individuals and teams over a short period of time.
This was the case for Choi Won-jun in his second week back. His batting, which was strong in the first three games of his comeback against Kiwoom, has gradually slowed down. It’s true that he revitalized the batting lineup in the first game or two, and it has helped so far. However, as Choi Hyung-woo said, the return of Choi Won-joon hasn’t immediately lifted KIA from the middle of the pack to the top.
As Choi Hyung-woo says, it’s impossible for Choi Won-joon, Na Sung-beom, and Kim Do-young to turn KIA into a superteam overnight. The nature of baseball is such that there will be ups and downs in the performance of these individuals. In order for the team’s average to increase, more players from more parts of the team need to contribute. One or two players can only make a short-term impact. This is a 144-game long race.
Na Sung-beom and Kim Do-young had good performances in their comeback game against KT on the 23rd. Kim Do-young had two hits, while Na Sung-beom hit a home run late in the game. On this day, however, KIA was without a starting pitcher due to Yoon Young-chul’s rest. Hwang Dong-ha, who had been rotating through the starting rotation in the second team and was recently added as a long reliever, struggled. As you can see, baseball is a game of many parts.
Currently, KIA has more problems on the mound than the batting lineup. Yoon Young-cheol will soon return from the break, but it’s hard to fill the void left by Adonis Medina right away. Lee Yi-ri is still struggling to manage his pitch count. Yang Hyun-jong and Sean Anderson should lead the way in the starting lineup.