KIA Tigers infielder Kim Do-young (21) was in poor condition last week. In the match against Doosan Bears in Gwangju on Tuesday, he virtually skipped three consecutive games during weekdays as a result of being hit on the wrist by Yang Eui-ji’s pitch. He played in the three consecutive games against the NC Dinos in Changwon from Friday through Sunday. He said he had recovered his wrist, but was not in good condition.
April MVP Kim Do-young falters in May. In May, the average is 0.333 (16 hits in 48 times at bat in 13 games). However, unlike in April when he had 10 homers, 26 RBIs and 14 stolen bases, he has one homer, three RBIs and four stolen bases in May. The drop in volume of Kim Do-young, who is at the top of the lineup, is related to the trend in which Kia struggles a bit in May before sweeping the three consecutive games against NC.
However, Kim still has flashes of talent. He started as a starter for the first time in a long time in a game on Sunday, and he garnered three hits to support Hwang Dong-ha’s first win. Kim’s unique bullet hits stood out. According to Sports2i, an official KBO record company, Kim’s average batting speed this season is 142.9 kilometers.
Kang Baek-ho (KT Wiz, 148.1 km), Matt Davidson (NC, 145.6 km), Austin Dean (LG Twins, 143.9 km), Kim Jae-hwan (Doosan Bears, 143.8 km), Mel Rojas Jr. (KT Wiz, 143 km) are ranked first to fifth in the league, and Kim Do-young is sixth. In addition, Kim Do-young ranks 10th with an average hitting speed of 148.2 km, 11th with an average home run speed of 161.5 km, and 8th with 43.1 percent making strong hits.
In other words, the 21-year-old young infielder is poised to post a figure that is not much different from that of foreign hitters who are performing well this season. This proves that he was born with athletic ability to a certain extent. Once again, there is no rival in a similar age group. The speed, power, and flexibility of his natural body are the source of his extraordinary bat speed and fast and strong batting.
Ahead of the match against NC Dinosaurs in Changwon on Wednesday, Lee Bum-ho said, “I was always a fast hitter. Because I have speed in my body, I naturally have speed in my bat. When I was a scout, I watched Doyoung hit in high school, and I also watched him hit on a video, and he really liked the speed when he hit the bat. His athleticism is different. Seeing that he has speed on the bat and his swing speed at the bat is quite fast, I thought, “I can become a good player within a few years if I bring him in,” and when I first saw him batting in the professional league, he said, “I think I know how to use my strength.”
If Kim is in good condition, he will naturally become “badan.” “When I am in bad condition, I often repeat strange movements such as holding the bat or letting go of one hand. When right-handed hitters are in good condition, balanced and well-timed, they bounce forward after hitting the bat. As you know, you will check your condition well.”
Kim Do-young said, “I’ve always had good batting speed since I was young. It’s because I used a lot of hands, but sometimes I abuse it, so I try not to pay attention to it as much as possible and hit it.”
BY: 스포츠토토