LG Twins catcher Kim Bum-seok, 19, is showing off his hitting talent in his sophomore year.
LG general manager Cha Myung-seok made history when he selected Kim in the first round of the 2023 KBO Draft. Cha said, “I picked him because he’s Kim Bum-seok. I think the proper noun Kim Bum-seok will become a household name in Korean baseball.”
Last year, his first year in the organization, Kim spent most of the season in the Futures League as a designated hitter while rehabbing a shoulder injury he suffered in his senior year of high school. He appeared in 10 games with the first team at the end of the season.
This year, Kim was forced to return home after suffering an adductor injury in spring training, but he rebuilt his body in the rehabilitation camp and was added to the first team roster on April 12th.
He was initially given a chance as a pinch-hitter, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Since then, he has been starting in the designated hitter role and has been a regular in the lineup with his triple-digit on-base percentage and clutch ability to hit long balls in clutch situations.
In 14 games,
Kim is batting 3-for-44 (15-for-44) with three home runs, 14 RBIs, a .591 slugging percentage and a 1.011 OPS. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout against the Changwon NC on April 2, 안전놀이터 추천 but went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored against the Changwon NC on April 1.
In particular, in the sixth inning, he pulled Castano’s fastball (146 kilometers) over the left-field fence for a two-run home run. The pitch had a speed of 172.3 mph and a launch angle of 39.6 degrees. Instead of a normal launch angle of between 20 and 30 degrees, the pitch was a large parabola of 40 degrees, and its travel time was a whopping 6.6 seconds. Commentator Yang Sang-moon said, “It’s a home run with a parabola so high that it pierces the sky. Normally, a home run is hit in about three seconds, but Kim’s home run seems to be more than five seconds.”
Kim Bum-seok hit his first home run on October 9 last year against Jamsil Lotte, which was a monster home run with a launch angle of 39.1 degrees. Although he is a big man, he has a smooth swing with a flexible body, and his power is incredible. In his senior year at Gyeongnam High School, Kim hit 10 home runs, the most in high school baseball since wooden bats were used.
“It’s good that he’s doing well…but it’s a little overwhelming because the media has been hyping him up so much,” Cha Myung-seok said with a laugh as he watched Kim’s performance in Changwon. In the 11 games he has started, Kim has been in the media spotlight for his dramatic performances, including a come-from-behind walk-off home run, a come-from-behind two-run home run, and a come-from-behind two-run double with the bases loaded.
Kim has been working with battery coach Park Kyung-wan every day before games.
He hasn’t been able to practice catching enough in camp due to an injury. He’s currently playing as a designated hitter, but he hopes to start as a catcher at some point. “I’m going to train with Coach Park to the point of exhaustion,” said Yoon Kyung-yup. He trains more than other players before games. “It’s okay because I’m the designated hitter. It’s not so much that I’m exhausted, and Coach Park will adjust (the amount of training).”
Yeom also had some words of advice for Kim Bum-seok: “He has a lot to offer. His body is very soft and flexible. He has good quickness. He has power. But obesity makes him use only 50 percent of his abilities,” he pointed out.
“If you don’t do anything else for 10 years and just think about baseball, you can have everything you want in 10 years without anyone looking at you. It’s not just a salary increase, 메이저 토토사이트 it’s a life change. I keep saying, ‘It’s better to suffer for 10 years and be comfortable for the rest of your life.’ The moment you realize that, even if you’re one year younger, it changes your life,” he says, emphasizing personal management.