Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man praised outfielder Kim Sung-yoon for his performance after his 11-0 victory over the Kiwoom Heroes in Gocheok on the 27th. Kim Sung-yoon started as the ninth batter and center fielder in the game and revitalized Samsung's batting lineup by getting on base five times with two hits, one RBI, three runs and two walks from three times at bat.
Kim continued the good trend at a game against Kiwoom on Friday. He started as the seventh batter and right fielder, and recorded one hit, one RBI, one run and one stolen base from four times at bat, helping Samsung to win 11-5. With three consecutive wins, Samsung swept three consecutive weekend games, solidifying its lone No. 3 position.
Kim Seong-yoon was one of the achievements that Samsung garnered, which ranked eighth in the regular season last year. He displayed outstanding offensive capability by posting a batting average of 0.314 (77 hits in 245 times at bat) with two homers, 28 RBIs and 20 steals, with an OPS of 0.758 in 101 games. Samsung is now indispensable for its fast-paced outfield defense and baserunning ability.
Korean national baseball team coach Ryu Joong-il also paid attention to Kim's play. Kim was included in the final entry list for the Hangzhou Asian Games held in October last year. Kim played a key role in Korea's fourth consecutive gold medal by playing as a left fielder throughout the tournament.
Expectations are high that Kim will show another growth in the 2024 season following last year's. However, the sense of hitting slowed down right after the opening of the regular season on April 23. As he suffered a slump with a batting average of 0.103 (three hits in 29 times at bat) in eight games through Tuesday, he suffered a double league appearance.
After undergoing readjustment in the second division, Kim Sung-yoon was listed in the first division entry again from the 19th. Upon returning to the first division, he produced hits and recovered his batting sense with three consecutive hits from the 26th to the 28th.
Kim Sung-yoon said, "I was in a hurry because the results were not good at the beginning of the season. Coach Park Jin-man, senior coach Lee Byung-kyu, and batting coach Lee Jin-young helped me a lot, but I couldn't overcome my impatience on my own," adding, "In the second division, Chung Dae-hyun, head coach of the Futures team, and Kang Bong-kyu, batting coach, gave me various advice, and I performed well, but I'm glad that it's showing little by little."
"Now, I am trying my best to have as much fun as possible in every game. I think it is important to do my best and not forget to have fun," he said of his change.
Kim Sung-yoon is working hard to play base running, aiming for one more base running. As he is only 163 centimeters tall, it is not easy to aim for a long shot, so he is trying to contribute to his team with speed, which is his specialty.
"I usually produce single hits, so it is difficult to survive (in the first team). I thought about how I could change the single hit to long hit," Kim said. "One of the methods is stealing. When I get on base, I am faithful to my role and trying to play well." 토토사이트
Kim does not neglect weight training even after the opening of the regular season. His robust arm muscles are the result of his daily sweat.
"I'm not a big player, so if I don't usually build up, I can't survive as a professional," Kim Sung-yoon said, adding, "I usually do weight training to hit as strong a ball as possible."