‘May batting average of 0.148’ Kim Hyun-soo revived? ‘Resurrection Project’ by Jindoo Yeomgalang has begun
LG Twins manager Yoon Kyung-yeop has rolled up his sleeves to revive veteran Kim Hyun-soo, who was batting just 1-for-4 in May (12-for-81).
With the win over the Lotte Giants on May 1, LG completed the feat of sweeping all nine series in May. Up until that point, they had a whopping +11 win-loss margin for the month, making them the best team in May by a wide margin.
However, Kim Hyun-soo’s slump left a sour taste in the mouths of LG fans. He batted just 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position for the month. His April numbers of 32 hits in 80 at-bats and a 1.022 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) were nowhere to be found.
Despite his long slump, Kim’s batting order has been locked into the center field spot this season. He’s either batting third or fifth.
He may have missed some winnable games. But LG needs his presence in the lineup if they want to reach higher. Giving the team’s center fielder time to recover is also a must for a strong team.
On this day, Kim Hyun-soo worked with batting coach Lee Ho-joon before the game. He was seen crouching down to bat at the toss, resembling a lunge.
“When the bat doesn’t feel right, batters think about a lot of things, so I advised them to keep it simple,” said LG coach Yoon Kyung-yeop.
The idea was to improve his stability at impact and maintain his wide contact coverage, which is his biggest strength. He didn’t want to be seen hanging his hips out and hitting pitches that didn’t go outside.
“The first thing hitters think about when they’re not hitting is trying to make it count. If you do that, you end up hitting dots instead of lines. Naturally, the quality of the batting becomes worse. I think that’s why Hong is hitting so well right now, because he’s strengthening his swing. Even if he’s hit a little bit behind, he’s hitting it hard to left field. Gone are the days of aiming and pushing, and he doesn’t throw the ball that easily.”
Yeom emphasizes that teamwork in the offense should focus on calculated ‘runs’ and that hitting should naturally produce strong hits. His hitting philosophy is not to consciously pull or push. Instead, he believes that maximizing contact is what makes a good hitter and what scouts should focus on the most. Austin, who is enjoying a rare era of success for LG’s foreign hitters, was also highly praised in this regard.
With the win, LG moved into first place, one game ahead of SSG Landers. The win also gave them a bit more psychological stability as they ended their three-game series against top contender Lotte with a win.
From June onward, the team will be able to relax. Closer Ko Woo-seok and pitcher Baek Seung-hyun are preparing to make a comeback. Sang-young Lee also returns for the Sangmu. Im Chan-gyu’s May burn filled the third spot, and now the competition for the fourth spot between Kim Yoon-sik, Lee Min-ho, and Lee Sang-young will be even more intense. The fifth spot will also be up for grabs periodically, with prospects like Kang Hyo-jong and Lee Ji-gang.안전놀이터
However, Yeom’s “most important goal for June” is the resurgence of Kim Hyun-soo.
“Once we have a four-man rotation and a five- or six-man bullpen, we’ll be able to play more defense. Even if we lose a game by one or two runs, we can stop the opponent’s offense and try to turn it around. For that, it is very important that our key players, Kim Hyun-soo and Oh Ji-hwan, come alive.”
It worked. Kim Hyun-soo had the big hit of the day in the top of the first inning with runners on second and third. The path to the big leagues starts with one step.