A key player in the KIA batting order in the second half of the season.
On 17 June, KIA captain Kim Sun-bin (34) was hit on the right thumb by a Jason Martin fastball against the Gwangju NC. At the time, there were many concerns that the first half of the season was over, but Kim’s rehabilitation was faster than expected. He returned to the first team on the 8th against Suwon KT.
In the last four games of the first half, he went 2-for-14 with a .143 batting average and one RBI. He certainly wasn’t at full strength, but it was barely noticeable. The trade of Kim Tae-gun and the strong performances of Kim Do-young and Na Sung-beom have revitalised the batting line-up in general.
In the KIA line-up of Choi Won-jun, Kim Do-young, Na Sung-beom, and Kim Tae-gun, nearly half of the line-up came in the first half. Kim Sun-bin was often deployed in the 2-3 spot, but now Kim Do-young and Na Seong-beom are virtually locked in at 2-3. Kim Sun-bin is likely to bat around the fifth spot in the batting order, and is basically a sixth or seventh choice. If Na Sung-beom, Choi Hyung-woo, Socrates Brito, and Lee Woo-sung bat in the 3-6 spot, Kim will have to move down to the bottom of the order.
That’s how solid the KIA batting line-up is. A fit Kim can transform into a fearsome sixth or seventh batsman in the second half of the season. This would be the kind of batting order that national coach Ryu Jung-il emphasised during his time at Samsung and LG. Ryu’s analysis is that if the batting order hits a bomb, the inning is likely to be a big inning.
In other words, a team with a strong 3-5 batting order will have a lot of chances in the 6th inning, and if the batsmen in the 6th inning are clutch, the team’s offence will work well. This is exactly what KIA did at the end of the first half. Assuming Na Sung-beom, Choi Hyung-woo, and Socrates do their job, if Kim Sun-bin picks up his batting pace, KIA’s offence will double.
In fact, Kim could be comfortable batting sixth or seventh. This is because his defensive burden is greater than other outfielders. Even though he has less coverage in the right-centre infield than he used to, he is still a quality defender.스포츠토토
Kim’s adjustment and synergy in the sixth and seventh spots could have a significant impact on his future, beyond KIA’s performance this season. Kim will be eligible for free agency again after this season. He signed his first free agent contract four years ago with his parent club, KIA, for 4.4 billion won. With the exception of 2020, when he was limited to 85 games due to a hamstring injury, he has largely done his job over the past four years. Once again, a decent contract is expected.
With the value of a centre-fielder who can also play offence still high, Kim will be in the spotlight once again this winter. In the end, it’s all about the second half of the season. It’s the second half of the season for both KIA and himself.