Director Park Jin-man personally recommended it…Kim Sung-yoon, why the club won first place as MVP of fielders in April
Director Park Jin-man personally recommended it…Kim Sung-yoon, why the club won first place as MVP of fielders in April
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At Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on Tuesday, Samsung manager Park Jin-man interviewed reporters ahead of the home game against the Doosan Bears. The monthly MVP candidate of the KBO League from March to April, which was announced on the morning of the day, became a hot topic of conversation. Two candidates have been selected for Samsung. They are outfielder Kim Sung-yoon and infielder Lewin Diaz.
Coach Park Jin-man said, "There are players who need to be nominated," and revealed the MVP of April, which was selected by the club. "I strongly recommended Kim Sung-yoon," he said with a smile.안전놀이터
Kim Sung-yoon played in 29 games between March and April and ranked high in various attack indicators, including a batting average of 0.393 (ranked first) and eight stolen bases (ranked joint third). He also ranked second in on-base percentage (0.455), tied for third in scoring (25 points), slugging percentage (0.573), and fifth in hits (35).
Notably, he showed off four hits (one homer) with two RBIs and three runs from six times at bat in the match against the Daegu KIA Tigers on April 24. He hit a home run for the first time in 617 days since the game against the Daegu LG Twins on August 16, 2023. He also displayed four hits in a game for the first time since his debut as a pro player, setting a record for the most hits in an individual game. At the match against the SSG Landers on April 30, he also had four hits (one homer) with one RBI and two runs from six times at bat.
Although Diaz slowed down a bit with a batting average of 0.226 in March, he rebounded with a batting average of 0.348 in April. Through April, he topped the batting average in key indicators including homers (11), RBIs (31), Ruta (78 hits), and slugging percentage (0.650). He also led his team's winning streak by hitting six homers and 15 RBIs in five games from April 23 to 27.
"Considering the contribution within the team, we will select the monthly MVP," coach Park said. "In April, Kim Sung-yoon and Diaz had a fierce competition," adding, "On the surface, Diaz hit a lot of home runs, but we judged that Kim Sung-yoon is ahead in terms of contribution. I'm picking two MVPs, and I pushed Kim Sung-yoon to the top of the batting MVP list. That's why Kim Sung-yoon ranked first and Diaz ranked second."
Kim Sung-yoon, who debuted at Samsung in 2017, was appointed to the position in 2023 and became the starting member of the first team. However, he only had a batting average of 0.243 (18 hits in 74 at-bats) and six RBIs in 32 games last season. Coach Park said, "He must have felt a lot. He did well in 2023 and was selected as a member of the national team, but he struggled last year."
"Every player has greed. As I was using Lions Park (a batter-friendly stadium) as my home ground, I think I started to want to hit long balls. After the off-season, my form changed a lot," he said. "After failing last year, I think I thought a lot about what kind of baseball I should play. That's how I played this year's camp."
"The result seems to be coming out now. Now that my baseball has been established to a certain extent," Park said, nodding, "I gained confidence after getting good results. I am having fun playing baseball on the ground."
Kim Sung-yoon is in center field instead of Kim Ji-chan, who has been out of power due to a hamstring injury. The defense is also excellent. In particular, he showed a super catch in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs and a runner on second base, trailing 1-2 against SSG on the 1st. When Oh hit a timely hit that separated the left-center field, he rushed to his full strength, sliding down and catching the ball. It was a spectacular defense that prevented losing points.
"Originally, when a player hits well, he can play endorphins and defend well. His movements improve. Kim Sung-yoon is doing well in many ways, including hitting, defense, and baserunning," coach Park said with a smile.
Baek Jeong-hyun was named the team's MVP in April. He was originally the starting pitcher, but he is now active in the mid-level pitching lineup this year. He was a valuable left-handed pitcher for his team. He boasted an ERA of 0.61 with one win and two holds in 14 ⅔ innings in 14 games in April.
"I'm normally a quiet person, but I'm really quiet and play a big role in my team," Park said. "I try to manage my team according to the situation in the summer. He is a player who will give strength to the bullpen."