Shall we break the 20 home run wall?
KIA Hwang Dae-in (27) celebrates the actual second year season. Joined in 2015 as the 2nd pick in the 2nd 1st round, and has already spent 7 years since his debut, including his time as a managing director. However, he only made 38 appearances for the first team until the 2019 season. In the 2020-2021 season, when he was his former manager, he played as a platoon first baseman. When the right-handed pitcher came out, he handed the opportunity to left-handed hitter Ryu Ji-hyeok.
However, coach Kim Jong-guk, who took over in the 2022 season, sent Ryu Ji-hyeok to third base and entrusted Hwang Dae-in with full-time first baseman. It was half success. In 129 games, batting average 0.256, 14 homers, 91 RBIs, 40 points, 8 stolen bases, OPS 0.716, and scoring batting average 0.296.
It was encouraging that he exceeded the target of 80 RBIs. He didn’t have a lot of homers, but he certainly proved that he was a big shot. KIA does not deserve a giant who succeeds Choi Hyung-woo and Na Seong-beom. After taking over as general manager Jang Jeong-seok, it is a stage where he is steadily collecting prospective players. First of all, the Hwang Dae-in must be firmly established.
As he experienced full-time for the first time, there was a lot of trial and error. As the average dropped, I virtually abandoned the leg kick, focused on accuracy with the toe tap, and made many changes, such as lifting the leg high again. In the process of establishing his own hit, he was somewhat less consistent. But it was the growing pains he had to go through anyway. 토토
It’s the 2023 season. Hwang Dae-in is expected to play the same role this season. He plays first base in the center lineup or 6th or 7th. But his reassurance is forbidden. As transfer student Byun Woo-hyuk joined the team, he jumped into the competition for third base, and can even reach first base.
Also, if outfielder Choi Won-joon is discharged in June, competition in the outfield is expected to intensify. Left-handed hitter Kim Seok-hwan, who can also play first base, may join the competition. First of all, Hwang Dae-in will stand in the most advantageous position, but it is unknown how his position will change if he repeats trial and error like last year.
Once he overcomes the 20 home run barrier, he should be seen as laying the groundwork to establish himself as the KIA’s first baseman for a long time. He has a swing that can make long hits, and he must have gained his own tips and experience in targeting key pitchers from nine clubs while playing full-time for a year last year. However, the on-base percentage of only 0.315 and the slightly unstable first base defense are tasks that need to be supplemented.
For reference, the Tigers’ last first baseman to hit 20 homers was foreign hitter Brett Pill in 2016. He hit exactly 20 home runs. The 20 homers of a Tigers native first baseman go back to 2010, Choi Hee-seop, coach of the remaining team. At the time, he had a batting average of .286 with 21 home runs and 84 RBI. The last season of 30 homers as a Tigers first baseman was coach Choi’s 33 home runs in 2009, when he won the championship. Hwang Dae-in is challenging the history of the Tigers’ first baseman, which was cut off after coach Choi retired.