“I knew it, but….”
Kim Byung-jun (20-KT Wiz) just missed out on a first-of-its-kind record on Thursday. Futures All-Star Game. The Southern All-Star first baseman and left fielder drew a walk in his first at-bat, then hit an infield single, a double and a triple.
In the seventh inning, he hit a single, a double, and a triple before coming up to bat again in the eighth. He was one hit away from the KBO’s first ever Futures All-Star Game hit-for-hire cycle.
He swung hard at the first pitch and hit a grounder to shortstop. With no further at-bats to follow, Byung-jun Kim’s attempt at the record remained incomplete.
Kim, who was selected by KT in the ninth round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft (88th overall), was named a Futures All-Star this year after batting .299 with two home runs in 52 games in the Futures League.
The bat was even hotter in July. In eight games, he batted 4-for-6.
KT said, “He has a solid swing of his own. She uses her quick feet to cover a lot of ground. He also has good speed.”
Prior to the Futures All-Star Game, Byung-jun Kim vowed to “show you all the plays I can make” through the organization.
True to his word, Byung-jun showed all of his strengths, and although he lost out on the MVP award to Kim Bum-seok (LG), who hit a three-run home run, he was named Best Hitter.
“I feel so good and giddy,” Kim said after the game.
On his last at-bat, he hoped for a home run. “I knew that if I hit a home run, it would be a cycling hit, so I purposely didn’t look at the scoreboard because I thought it would be hard, but when I stepped up to the plate, I immediately felt stronger,” he laughed.스포츠토토
Despite failing to make the record books, the All-Star Game will be a rejuvenating experience for Kim. “When you’re in the second team, you can sometimes lose motivation. I got a good opportunity to come to the All-Star Game, and I’m glad I did well again.”
Kim Byung-jun was added to the first team roster on the 9th of last month, only to be removed a day later. He said, “My goal is to work hard and make the first team. “I want to be remembered as a player who gives his best in every play and is desperate until the end,” he said.