Lotte Giants rookie outfielder Kim Min-seok overcame his first hurdle on the professional stage through his own research and efforts. He gains the confidence that he can grow one step further and turns the bat more vigorously.
As of the 5th, Kim Min-seok is recording a batting average of 0.246 (16 hits in 65 at-bats), 7 RBIs and 3 stolen bases in 21 games since the opening. Considering that it is the first month of the pro stage for a rookie high school graduate, I can give it a good enough score.
What stands out is the recent momentum. From Sajik Kiwoom Heroes on the 28th of last month to the KIA Tigers in Gwangju on the 3rd, 4 consecutive hits and 3 consecutive multi-hits raised the feeling of hitting to the fullest.
His batting quality is also sharp. In the case of the KIA match on the 3rd, it was not an exaggeration to say that the team shone alone in the 2-10 loss with 2 hits and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats. The two at-bats who retreated with a bum hit were also caught as the ball was headed in front of the fielder, but showed concentration to hit the ball accurately in the center of the bat.
From the 11th to the 24th of last month, he had a batting average of 0.140 (6 hits in 43 at-bats) in 13 games, but he found a turning point himself. When his results weren’t good, instead of getting frustrated or depressed, he agonized over his hitting and immersed himself in training while referring to videos of major league hitters.
The hitter who helped Kim Min-seok was Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox) of Japan. Yoshida is a right-handed, left-handed outfielder who entered the big leagues last winter after winning a 5-year, 90 million dollar contract.
Yoshida has been playing his major league debut season smoothly, wielding a batting average of 0.303 (30 hits in 99 at-bats), 5 homers, 21 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.906. In the World Baseball Classic (WBC) last March, he played an active role with 3 hits, 1 walk and 5 RBIs against Korea, as well as a batting average of 0.409 (9 hits in 22 at-bats) and 2 homers and 13 RBIs during the tournament, leading Japan to win and is familiar to domestic fans.먹튀검증
Kim Min-seok said, “The reason I wasn’t good in mid-April wasn’t because of physical problems or being analyzed by the opposing team. I just think I was in a hurry myself.” there is,” he said.
Kim Min-seok paid attention to the part where Yoshida took his thumb and index finger off the bat and hit. “In the meantime, I only hit it with too much power, but when I try like Yoshida, I seem to use less power and get a lot of good hits. I’ve been maintaining this way of hitting since Kiwoom and 3 consecutive weekends at the end of April,” he explained.
The recent rise of Lotte, which has been running for 9 consecutive wins, has also greatly helped Kim Min-seok’s growth. “As the team continues to win, I think my skills are improving. If I’m on a losing streak, I can be chased or in a hurry, but even if I can’t hit, the team continues to win, so I can enter the plate without any burden and my skills have improved,” he looked back.
Expectations from the coaching staff have also risen. Lotte coach Larry Sutton said, “Kim Min-seok has good contact ability and bat control. I expect him to do well in the future,” hinting at using Kim Min-seok as the lead-off for the time being.
Kim Min-seok said, “As the first hitter is a player who starts the game, he plays with the mindset that he will not die easily even if he cannot produce good results in every at-bat.”