“I look forward to reuniting with Russell.”
This season, Kiwoom’s central infield faces another big change. Kim Hye-seong, who won both the shortstop and second baseman Golden Gloves for the first time in history and emerged as the best second baseman in the KBO League, is celebrating his second year as a full-time second baseman. However, at shortstop, Kim Hui-jip, Shin Jun-woo, and Kim Joo-hyung ended the system.
Edison Russell, the winning shortstop of the 2016 Major League Baseball Chicago Cubs, makes a surprise comeback. Russell joined as a substitute foreign hitter for Taylor Motor in the 2020 season, batting average of 0.254, 2 homers, 31 RBIs and 22 points in 65 games. As time passed, his defensive stability decreased. He left feeling quite disappointed and lonely.
However, Russell later revived in the Mexican League. Kiwoom decided that Russell was likely to make a comeback in the KBO League and boldly re-recruited him. Unlike his three years ago, he has been with the team since spring camp, and is able to get along well with domestic players and start the season. Director Hong Won-ki also looked at this part with encouragement.
The feeling of Kim Hye-seong welcoming Russell as a Keystone Combi partner is also new. The reunion with Russell is expected on the 29th at Incheon International Airport. Three years ago, Russell was a player with a good attitude toward the game and attitude toward baseball. He doesn’t speak English, but I’ll get to know him a lot through conversation.”
That’s also true, Kim Hye-seong experienced the sadness of moving to left field with Russell’s joining three years ago. Even Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) of the world moved to third base. Hanwha general manager Sohn Hyuk, who was the command tower at the time, still ordered Kim Hye-sung to work in the outfield to increase his utilization, and Kim Hye-seong drew attention as a multiplayer who played 142 games. 먹튀검증
Now, there is no such thing as Kim Hye-seong moving his seat just because Russell is coming. In the meantime, Kim Hye-seong has grown into the best center infielder in the KBO League, receiving Golden Gloves for two consecutive years. Kim Hye-seong said, “Of course there is greed for the Golden Globes. I want to receive it for 3 years in a row. We need to do better on both defense and hitting.”
Looking at the defensive stats for the 2022 season, Kim Hye-seong was the top second baseman. Although he was similar to his rivals in his offense, Kim Hye-sung’s real value was in defense. He said, “The transition to second base wasn’t bad. His mistakes were not many compared to the year before, and his record was good. He wants to do better.”
As a shortstop, Kim Hye-seong had a weakness where his long-distance throwing sometimes faltered. When he moved to second base, he maximized his strength of wide fielding range with his quick feet. However, it’s good if he can work this out at second base as well. If he succeeds in hitting 300 for 3 consecutive years, he can be recognized as a true 300 hitter.
In addition, it remains to be seen whether Russell will make a splendid comeback after overcoming the humiliation he suffered three years ago. Kiwoom’s shortstop’s offensive production was a clear weakness last year. If Russell recovers and Kim Hye-seong maintains his skills, Kiwoom’s central infield and center line (catcher Lee Ji-young, center fielder Lee Jeong-hoo) are expected to exert their strongest power in the league. Kiwoom believes that at least Russell can lead the growth of Kim Hwi-jip and Shin Jun-woo. Of course, the best-case scenario is a winning bidder.