Kim Min-seok (19, Lotte), the “second Lee Jung-hoo,” recorded a multi-hit game in front of Lee Jung-hoo (25, Kiwoom). The fearless rookie, who is slowly adjusting to the professional stage, surpassed a .300 batting average in May.
Kim started in center field against Kiwoom at the Gocheok SkyDome on the 26th.
In the first inning, Kim struck out on three pitches against Kiwoom’s Hurado. He struck out swinging on a 148-kilometer fastball. In the third inning, he batted on a one-ball, but was thrown out at shortstop.
Lotte took the lead in the fifth inning when Park Seung-wook singled with two outs. With two outs, Kim Min-seok took a four-pitch fastball (145 kilometers) from Furado at 1B-2S and flicked it with his wrist with his hips out for a three-run single to left field. Even at the tender age of 19, his bat control and hitting skills have been recognized.
Kim Min-seok led off the eighth inning with a double down the left field line off left-hander Kim Jae-woong for a 1B-2S double. The subsequent batters failed to score as they were retired on a bunt, a fly ball, and a grounder.
After going 2-for-4 on the day, Kim is now 25-for-30 (118 RBI) with one home run, 14 RBI, 19 runs scored, and a .644 OPS. With each game, he’s gotten better and better with experience. In April, Kim was 1-for-9 with a .482 OPS. His OPS was .482.
In May, his numbers improved dramatically, as he went 3-for-6 (19 HR in 62 at-bats) with a .785 OPS. In his last 10 games, he’s even better, going 3-for-5. He even had back-to-back three-hit games against Hanwha on April 16 and 18.
In two months, he’s established himself. He is a top-of-the-order hitter and is most often in the starting lineup. Kim Min-seok, who joined Lotte as the third overall pick in the first round of this year’s rookie draft, has been compared to Lee Jung-hoo, who is six years his senior. Same right-handed bat, same precise hitting.
Last year’s MVP Lee Jung-hoo was unable to get a hit in front of the juniors on the day. Lee started at third base and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. After batting first in May, Lee moved back to third for the first time in 23 games 안전놀이터.
Before the game, Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki said, “In the end, Lee Jung-hoo needs to hit in the center field. If he shows the kind of performance he showed last year, it will give the stagnant batting lineup a boost. He has been batting first since the beginning of May, but if he shows his true form in the center field, I think the batting lineup will be energized.”
However, Lee was silent with no hits, and his season batting average dropped to 2-for-43 in 174 at-bats. His batting average gradually improved from 2-for-1 in April to 2-for-7 in May, but it’s still not enough.