LG Twins utility infielder Kim Min-seong (35) returns.
Prior to the KIA Tigers game in Gwangju on the 8th, LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop said, “(Kim) Min-seong plans to register for the first group tomorrow (9th). He joined the first team, but he decided to relearn the atmosphere and improve his hitting sense,” he said.스포츠토토
Kim Min-seong was excluded from the first-team entry on the 6th of last month. He was due to a hamstring injury. At the time, coach Yeom explained, “As he is a player who needs to play a role again at an important moment, we plan to give him enough time and reorganize and call him back to the first team.” After playing 3 games in the Futures (2nd team) league, Kim Min-seong accompanied the 1st team to Gwangju for three consecutive expeditions on the 8th and 10th.
At the start of this season, Kim Min-seong was classified as a backup member. He has strength in defense and can handle all positions in the infield, so coach Yeom envisioned Kim Min-seong as a resource to be substituted in the second half of the game or to be selected as a starter to arrange the stamina of key players.
However, Kim Min-seong did not miss the opportunity to become a starting player. At the beginning of the season, when shortstop Oh Ji-hwan had to leave due to a side injury, he became the starting shortstop and showed more than expected performance in the offense and defense. After Oh Ji-hwan returned, he moved to the second baseman and steadily stepped on the ground amidst the sluggishness of Seo Geon-chang, who played as the starting second baseman. After that, he took on all positions in the infield, including third baseman and first baseman, and continued to play, helping LG to steadily lead the way.
What has changed from previous seasons is definitely the batting. Kim Min-seong had a batting average of 0.288, 4 homers, 31 RBIs, an on-base percentage of 0.364, and a slugging average of 0.408 in 70 games this season, clearing away his sluggish batting over the past two years. As the opportunity to step into the plate increased, the veteran’s bat returned vigorously.
Manager Yeom expressed a lot of regret after Kim Min-sung’s injury. After Kim Min-sung was left out of the lineup, he confessed that he did not have enough resources for a pinch hitter, and that his worries increased when he made the batting order. In response, manager Yeom hoped that Kim Min-seong would add strength and add strength from August, when it would be a watershed in the competition for first place. Kim Min-seong contributed considerably to improving the team’s scoring ability this season with a batting average of 0.293 in scoring position and a batting average of 0.330 with runners on.
The remaining schedule for this season is very important not only to LG but also to Kim Min-sung himself. After this season, he qualifies as a free agent (FA) for the second time in his life. If he plays every position in the infield and maintains the same sense of hitting as in the first half, he can expect another free agent contract, although he is not small. I wonder if Kim Min-seong, who has returned to the first team, will be able to raise his own value by further improving the power of the mighty LG.