Thank you to the director.”
KIA Tigers Kim Do-young (20) attended the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League Media Day’ held at Grand Hyatt Seoul in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 30th as a team representative. Kim Do-young, who met with the reporters after the event, said, “If I hadn’t experienced last year, it helped a lot to prepare for this season. He has a good pace,” he said confidently.
Kim Do-young, who graduated from Dongsung High School, joined the KIA as the first nomination last year. Kim Do-young, a ‘5-tool player’ who combines his long hitting power with contact, run, defense, and throwing ability, became a professional player amid the attention of many people. Even in the exhibition game, he flew 12 games, 44 at bats, 19 hits, 2 homers, batting average of 0.432, slugging percentage of 0.636, and OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.068.
However, the professional wall was high. Kim Do-young went through ups and downs, and to make matters worse, he had a difficult time overlapping with an injury. Although the performance was not good, coach Kim Jong-guk did not send Kim Do-young to the Futures League. He took care to gain experience while accompanying the first-team squad. There were many days when Kim Do-young sat on the bench, but little by little he was reborn as a professional player.
The experience of last year has been a great foundation for growth. Kim Do-young said, “I am really grateful to the director. He kept me in the first team. In fact, he wondered if he would be better off playing for the Futures. The seniors also gave a lot of advice based on their experiences, and I thought that I would learn a lot even if I was on the bench, holding on to my mentality.” 먹튀검증
He also practiced defense thoroughly. Chan-Ho Park is holding out as the starting shortstop, while Do-Young Kim plays as the third baseman. Compared to his primary position at shortstop, he struggled with batting, but he’s definitely gotten better now. Kim Do-young said, “It is easier for shortstops to hit the ball bound. The third baseman definitely improved after the halfway through the demonstration game,” he said, expressing his confidence.
No specific goals were set. I want to play a lot in the game. Kim Do-young said, “I haven’t set a specific goal yet. But I want to play full-time,” she said, raising her voice.