Kim Hye-sung (Kiwoom) has moved back to shortstop. It’s time for Kiwoom to dot the “Kim Hae-Sung successor” and give him a full push.
After Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) retired from the major leagues after the 2020 season, the lineage at shortstop for Kiwoom was unclear. In 2020, Edison Russell pushed Kim to third base and “busted out”. Then, in 2021, he began pushing Kim in earnest.
Kim was successful enough to win the Golden Glove at shortstop in 2021. It was a symbolic event, as a highly touted prospect with exceptional skills in the outfield was transformed into a center fielder representing the KBO League. However, Kim hasn’t been a full-time shortstop since.
Hong Won-ki, the team’s longtime defense coach, had a different opinion. He believes that while Kim is a good player, there are certain advantages and disadvantages to playing shortstop. He believed she could maximize her strengths and save the team by playing second base.
Kim won a Golden Glove in 2021, but was the KBO’s top defender in errors (29). He has a wide defensive range that utilizes his quick feet, good catching ability, and good improvisation. On the other hand, her long-range throwing accuracy was somewhat inferior compared to her strong shoulders.
Hong believes that if Kim is moved to second base, she will be able to use her wide range to turn more double plays. It would also hide the weakness of her long throw. The hope was that by taking some of the pressure off her defense, her batting potential would explode.
Hong’s prediction proved to be correct. Kim became a Golden Glove winner at second base in the 2022 season. He became the first KBO player to win the Golden Glove at both shortstop and second base. She stabilized the center infield. This season, it’s even better. His defense at second base has been more reliable, and his potential at the plate has exploded. He ranks seventh in batting average (.317), first in hits (120), first in runs scored (73), second in stolen bases (21), and first among players with at least 15 stolen bases with a 91.3% success rate.
In short, she has become one of the best center fielders in the KBO, but there was always a longing in the back of her mind to be the best shortstop in the KBO. Kim Hye-sung’s greed and pride in the shortstop position is unrivaled. This is the starting point of her evaluation as “a player who is never satisfied.” It is true that the flower of the infield is the shortstop.안전놀이터
A player must follow the coach’s instructions. That’s how Kim Hye-sung has been playing second base for the past two years, and she’s done it fiercely, winning the top title. Of course, Hong knew what Kim was thinking, and this time he listened. He left the door open for a comeback at second base, but it looks like he’ll be playing shortstop for the time being. On the 1st, shortstop Kim Hye-sung started again for the Jamsil LG Electronics.
The decision was also based on team circumstances. Initially, Hong wanted to develop a shortstop internally by using Kim as a second baseman from 2022. The team already had a number of prospects, but none of them were able to establish themselves, and crucially, the team continued to have holes at third base in the postseason. The future is good, but we’ve seen the limits.