“It seems to be comfortable coming out of the baseball field this year.”
Kim Do-yeong (20, KIA Tigers), the ‘second Lee Jong-beom’, was armed with confidence. This year, he promised to perform differently from his first year of debut.
On the 30th of last month, Doyoung Kim left for Tucson, Arizona, USA, where the team’s field training will be held through Incheon International Airport. Regarding his first overseas battery training before his departure, he said, “I am so determined that I am going to spring camp abroad for the first time. I think he should have a special determination even in my current position,” he said.
Last year, Kim Do-young drew a lot of attention as a super rookie. Born in Gwangju, his main position is shortstop. He was loved by many fans for his potential that reminded him of Tigers legend Lee Jong-beom, who went through Haitai and KIA.
As a super rookie, he performed impressively from the demonstration game. In 12 games, he had a batting average of . 432 (19-for-44) with two homers and five RBI, placing him first in the batting average and most hits category during his exhibition period. Naturally, a lot of the spotlight followed, and he even earned the honor of joining the Opening Day roster and starting as the team’s number one hitter on his debut.
However, in the regular season, he could not continue the explosive impact he had during the exhibition game. He performed poorly during the month of April, posting a batting average of 0.179 (15 hits in 84 at-bats). In July and August, he rebounded slightly with a batting average in the mid-to-late 20% range, but recorded a final batting average of 0.237 (53 hits in 224 at-bats), 3 home runs, 19 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.674. The season was not as expected for the team or individual players.
Kim Do-young said, “There were a lot of things I really regret. Still, there are things that I am satisfied with, so I think it was a good season. This year, I have a strong desire to settle down,” he said. I think I will have to prepare hard to catch it this year.”
Kim Do-young grew through one season, regardless of the results. He has some realizations in both offense and defense. “(In hitting) the positive thing in the second half was that the batting form did not change. 토토사이트 I think I will have to work hard to maintain that batting form and make it my own. Defensively, it was difficult in the beginning. It was important how to start, but I think I found my start and made it comfortable in the second half.”
He is still young as a second-year professional, but it is definitely different from last year. He got rid of the burden of being a super rookie and regained his confidence. “I thought I didn’t feel any pressure last year, but I think I felt a lot in my body. Certainly, coming to the ballpark this year seems to be more comfortable. I don’t know if I’m used to it, but it’s comfortable and I’ve become very close with my seniors and hyungs.”
“Confidence is always there. Also, I am more confident this year than last year. I don’t know why, but I feel like it’ll be fun and I’m excited. The goal is to finish the spring camp without getting hurt,” he added.
Lastly, Kim Do-young revealed his determination for the second season in the pros. He said, “I want to instill trust in the director and show a lot of stability.”