The last first designated hitter of the Kiwoom Heroes was Park Joo-hong (23) in 2020. Just as pitchers have been dominating in the first and second rounds of the rookie draft recently, pitchers are evaluated higher than batters at similar prices. Nevertheless, if a batter receives the first nomination or is selected in the first and second rounds, it means that he or she has extraordinary talent, sealing, and potential.
The same happened to Park Joo-hong. Confident that Park Joo-hong would be the main outfielder, Kiwoom boldly nominated him. At that time, the three clubs in Seoul took turns to have priority over the first nomination. When the LG Twins picked Lee Min-ho, Kiwoom picked Park Joo-hong, the second choice.
Jeong Hae-young (KIA Tigers) improved to the best finish in the league and So Hyung-joon (KT Wiz) also became the main starting pitcher among the rookies who were nominated in the first round. However, Park Chu-hong has not been able to grow as much as he did for the past five years. His record is 27 games in 2023 is the highest in the top team. He played in just 109 games in five years. His batting average is 0.151 with 10 RBIs and an OPS of 0.463.
Coach Hong has traditionally been the type to boldly give opportunities to younger players and newcomers. Park's struggles stand out given this. Since he is eligible for military service benefits for children of national merit, he replaced his military service with a social service worker for six months from late November last year. However, he has not rebounded this year as well. He had a batting average of 0.102 with one RBI in 25 games.
He also failed to display remarkable performance in the Futures League. He had a batting average of 0.286 with five homers, 21 RBIs and 10 runs scored in 35 games this season. However, he has displayed good pace recently. He had a batting average of 0.333 with two homers and nine RBIs in the recent 10 games. He started as the fourth first baseman at the match against Sangmu in Goyang on Wednesday, and posted three hits, two RBIs and one walk and one stolen base from three times at bat.
The Futures League is also in its final stages. Kiwoom is planning a massive closing camp in Taiwan. Park Joo-hong is also expected to be included. Although he is still 23 years old, he has shown virtually nothing. If he hesitates for another year or two here, there is no telling what his future will look like.
Kiwoom's outfield is likely to be led by Lee Joo-hyung and Jang Jae-young in the long run. Veteran Lee Hyung-jong is an FA contractor, so he should use it as much as possible. Still, there is hope. This is because Lee Joo-hyung and Jang Jae-young are not completely established. In the end, it depends on how Park Joo-hong prepares.
Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants) was the most successful case for Kiwoom in 2017. He advanced to the Major League after receiving recognition for his team and the best player in the KBO League. Not everyone can be such an example. However, it can be a strong motivation. 먹튀검증
If even Kim Hye-sung leaves for the Major League this winter, Kiwoom desperately needs the core of the lineup. Song Sung-moon is not enough. Lee Ju-hyung needs to grow more, and young batters need to work harder. For Kiwoom, it is natural to expect Park Joo-hong to burst.