There is one seat, but many players. Will there be a competition among the catchers of the Kiwoom Heroes?
Kiwoom’s hostess is Lee Ji-young (37). Last year, he played 137 games in the regular season and defended 994⅔ innings, the second most appearances after Yoo Gang-nam (1008⅓ innings). Lee Ji-young’s presence continued in fall baseball. He played 130 more postseason innings and was responsible for a season total of 1124⅔ innings.
There is definitely a main catcher named Lee Ji-young, but various players are emerging as candidates for the second catcher. The competition among backup catchers is expected to intensify while hostess Lee Ji-young is away.
Lee Ji-young will be selected for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) team and will be away for a while. He doesn’t make it to the team from spring camp until the long exhibition games. To fill the void, Kim Jae-hyeon (30), Kim Si-ang (22), and Kim Dong-heon (19) are expected to seize the opportunity.
The most likely one is veteran Kim Jae-hyun. With a total of 400 appearances, he is the second most experienced catcher after Lee Ji-young. He started in over 100 games in 2018 and pitched 217⅓ innings last season as a backup catcher. 토토사이트
However, young catchers with potential are gradually making their mark. A typical example is Siang Kim. He succeeded in debuting in the first team in 2022 and joined the entry for the Korean Series. In the off-season, he was picked up by Geelong Korea of the Australian Professional Baseball League (ABL) and is gaining a lot of experience. Based on his sense of stability and excellent defensive ability, his potential is highly evaluated to the extent that he is considered as a candidate for the next housewife.
Kim Dong-heon (19), who was probably considered a top-notch catcher in his days, can also challenge. He is a highly anticipated rookie who has been recognized for his excellent defense, game management, and batting ability since high school. Like Kim Si-ang, he was nominated for the next housemaid and his potential was recognized.
In addition, it is noteworthy whether young players such as Kim Gun-hee (19), catcher Park Seong-bin (19), Byun Hyun-seong (19), and Ahn-gyeom (19), who were nominated by Kiwoom as rookies for the 2023 season, will also be given a chance.
A competition between catchers for the position of backup catcher is expected to take place. Attention is focusing on whether talented catchers such as Kim Jae-hyeon, Kim Si-ang, and Kim Dong-heon will be able to receive the coaching staff’s attention.