“My goal is to go 5-for-5 every game.”

It’s a bold promise. This is the attitude Kim Hyeon-jun (21), a 21-year-old outfielder for the Samsung Lions in professional baseball, enters the batter’s box. Kim Hyun-joon thinks that it is better to get out by wrongly hitting than to watch an ambiguous ball and get out.스포츠토토

Samsung fell to the bottom in the first half of the 2023 season. In the second half, Kim Hyun-joon’s performance is also contributing to the fact that he is gradually stretching. As his bat is active and his defense is stable, it is expected that he will be able to board the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team.

At the Asian Games held at the end of September, the baseball team aims for a gold medal. However, there is a growing possibility that the national team’s nucleus Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom Heroes) will not be able to participate due to a left ankle injury. While several players are being discussed as candidates to fill the void left by Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Hyun-joon is also considered a strong alternative.

Pitcher Won Tae-in and infielder Kim Ji-chan have already joined the national team from Samsung. Up to three players can be selected for each KBO League team, so one more player can be selected from Samsung. The fact that Lee Jeong-hoo is an outfielder makes Kim Hyun-joon’s card more powerful. Bae Jeong-dae (KT Wiz), Yoon Dong-hee, and Kim Min-seok (above Lotte Giants) are competitors.

As of the morning of the 9th, Kim Hyun-jun is recording a batting average of 0.313 and 24 RBIs. 77 hits for the season. Before he knew it, he was fixed as the No. 1 hitter who opened the way to attack in the other line. With a hot bat, he is leading the uptrend of the Samsung batting line along with Koo Ja-wook, Ryu Ji-hyeok and Lee Jae-hyun.

At bat, Kim Hyun-jun is quite aggressive. He said, “I can hit any ball, I go into the plate thinking I’ll hit it,” and “I pay more attention to hitting more hits than my on-base percentage. I’m determined to hit it somehow.”

He is playing as the starting center fielder for Samsung, and his defensive skills are also noticeable. He is quick to judge the batted ball and easily catches difficult-looking balls. He is also excellent at throwing his body forward and catching hit balls. He has already shown that on several occasions, saving the team from a crisis and exciting the fans.

Samsung coach Park Jin-man explains that as confidence builds up, Kim Hyeon-joon is playing more relaxed and stable defense. Kim Hyun-joon said, “If I feel it is necessary, I boldly throw my body. Even if I make a mistake and get cursed at, I think I will fly without regret and get cursed at.

As both offense and defense are doing well, Kim Hyun-joon’s stock price has risen. Kim Hyeon-joon himself says that he is ‘not as threatening a hitter as senior Lee Jung-hoo’ and ‘compared to that, he’s still new blood’. He doesn’t even directly express that he wants to go to the national team. However, the evaluation of him inside and outside the team is quite generous.

Coach Park Jin-man also hopes that Kim Hyun-joon will be able to participate in the Asian Games. Director Park said, “It can be regrettable from the team’s point of view that Kim Hyun-joon is participating in the Asian Games.”