[스포티비뉴스=잠실, 김태우 기자] As he entered the batter’s box, the voices of KIA fans cheering his name rang loudly. The belief that “this player will hit one” was hanging around the stadium. Surprisingly, the player who carried such expectations and pressure on his shoulders was 21-year-old Kim Do-young (KIA). However, looking at his recent performance, this was not a completely vain expectation.
Kim Do-young added a home run against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 25th and recorded 10 home runs and 11 stolen bases in April alone. In the history of the KBO League, there were all-rounders who hit 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases, and even 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases like Eric Thames (former NC), but Kim Do-young was the first to achieve 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases simultaneously in a month. He had such a tremendous time. If he hit, it was a long hit, and if he ran, he lived. Moreover, Kim Do-young is a 21-year-old player in his third year. He couldn’t help but be excited.
As if meeting the expectations of fans, Doyoung Kim continued his recent upward trend by hitting two hits and recording two RBIs in the game against LG in Jamsil on the 26th. Kim Do-young is cruising with a batting average of 0.336, 10 home runs, 26 RBI, 27 runs, 11 stolen bases, and OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.055 in 28 games this season. His scoring production ranks among the best in the league.
What has driven Kim Do-young’s upward trend, and what can be expected for his continued performance in the future, is batting speed. Just as the faster the pitcher’s ball, the less time the batter has to react, and the higher the probability of success, it is natural that the faster the batter’s ball, the less time the fielder has to react, and the higher the probability of a hit. Even in the major leagues, a player’s current condition is often roughly estimated based on batted ball speed. It’s not just about having good strength, and it’s also not about just having good contact. In order to have good batting speed, both things must be supported. Kim Do-young is like that.
Currently, Kim Do-young is competing for first place in the league in average exit speed. Normally, batting speed is the domain of a slugger, but Kim Do-young, who can run whenever he goes out on the field, is showing such power. Recently, when he has reached the peak of his senses, the hits he has made are hard hits (hits over 152.9 km/h).
According to the tally of ‘Trackman’, which provides tracking data to nine KBO League teams, Kim Do-young recorded hard hits in all five of his at-bats in the match against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 25th. The first at-bat was 160.2km, the second at-bat was 161.9km with a distance of 103.6m, the third at-bat was 171.6km with a distance of 127.8m, the fourth at-bat was 156.2km with a distance of 107.9m, and the fifth at-bat was a whopping 179.6km with a distance of 92.1m. recorded m. It’s a feeling so good that pitchers feel fear.
In the game against LG in Jamsil on the 26th, Kim Do-young recorded a batting speed of 173.4 km when he hit to left center in the 3rd inning. He only took 2.85 seconds to fly the distance of 95.4m. In the 4th inning, he recorded an exit speed of 155.9 km and recorded two hard hits on this day as well. Lately, it seems like he can get great speed just by hitting the bat.
In fact, Kim Do-young’s batting speed itself was good last year as well. However, there were some ups and downs in his batting speed. Balls that were hit well often exceeded 170 km/h or more, but balls that were not hit had a significant drop in speed, so on average, it was not at the level of competing for first place like this year. However, this year, we are seeing results as the zone settings become clearer. Kim Do-young explained that his strategy of clearly defining his zone and hitting the ball that enters the zone as hard as possible from the front is achieving success. Conversely, there is not much swing for balls that do not enter the zone. This is the background that allows batted ball speed to show steady improvement.
KIA coach Lee Beom-ho also said, “Now you will have a good idea of what kind of player the opponent is. He said that the fact that his hitting point itself comes and goes means that he does not have time to spare when he goes to bat. “Now that I have a lot of leeway, I think those points can come out,” he said. “In cases like last year and the year before, I wanted to do well, but it didn’t work out, and I got injured, so I felt a little impatient and tried to find a solution quickly at the plate.” It was strong. As a result, the point itself changed depending on the condition, going to the front or the back. “Now he perfectly hits only the balls he wants to hit,” he said, analyzing the secret.
Kim Do-young said that he watches the play of Ronald Acuña Jr., one of the top hitters in the major league, but that he is not a role model. In reality, the two players have different positions. However, the overall picture of explosive power is quite similar. Acuña Jr. also has quick feet, but he is dynamic in that he produces strong hits despite his small size. There may be differences in the level of players and leagues, but Kim Do-young is creating such excitement in the KBO League. Acuña Jr. recorded 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases last year. Kim Do-young’s pace in 144 games this year is 51 home runs and 56 stolen bases.
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