“At the beginning of the season, it was no less than Kim Do-young (21, KIA Tigers)….”
This is what Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop said about Kang Seung-ho (aged 30, Doosan Bears). Kang Seung-ho, who spent this season, which was the most extreme, has joined the autumn wrap-up training, in which non-mainstream players mainly participate.
Kang had a batting average of 0.280 with 18 homers, 81 RBIs and 81 runs scored, and a slugging percentage of 0.476 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 0.804 this year. He was considered the best hitter among his peers in the first round (LG Twins) in 2013, but his performance came after 12 years of joining the pro league. 온라인바카라
Notably, Kang had been one of the league’s best performers through April, posting a batting average of 0.333, seven homers, 23 RBIs and an OPS of 0.956 in 33 games. However, his performance has declined since May. Kang’s May-June performance only posted a batting average of 0.253 OPS of 0.754. His OPS also stood at 0.777 during the July-August period, falling short of that at the beginning of the season. He even suffered from enteritis in the fall. He finished the season regretfully by posting a batting average of 0.214 OPS of 0.666 in 12 games after September. “At the beginning of the season, he was as good as Kim Do-young, the best hitter in 2024,” coach Lee Seung-yeop said.
He volunteered to participate in the finishing training to overcome the severe ups and downs. “When I had good performance early in the season, my bat speed was good. I was able to hit the ball in front of me (because the heating point was formed near the front foot), so I had a long shot,” Kang said. “As I tried to swing faster (to maintain the heating point), the number of strikeouts increased. Even though the weather got cooler, my batting didn’t improve,” he said.
This is the first time Kang Seung-ho has played in 140 games this year. He had no choice but to lack skills to control his pace or physical fitness. “I realized that managing physical fitness is essential to maintain good performance throughout the season. I was thinking about playing like in April, and I watched the video, but my form in April never came back,” he said.
Kang Seung-ho said, “Commentator Park Yong-taek (who was a senior at LG) said, ‘My physical condition is different when I was good and when I was not. Even if I think about it as a good form, I can’t find it right away. We need to judge our current condition coolly and find another way.”
Kang is preparing to adjust his batting form for the next season. “I’m training after slightly raising my toe-tap (the method of touching the ground with the big toe without removing the front foot from the ground),” Kang said.
To tap is advantageous in contacting due to its small movement width of the lower body. Instead, the bat tends to go out easily on the inlet as well. Kang Seung-ho, a bad ball heater, tries to change his posture to a leg kick (a way to move his weight by lifting his front foot). Kang’s strategy is to endure bad balls and hit the balls that come into the strike zone strongly.
There is also a possibility that the team will change its position in the new season. “Kang Seung-ho is also considering (a candidate for third baseman),” coach Lee Seung-yeop said of the third baseman, who Heo Kyung-min (KT Wiz) has transferred to. “He will be the starting member, but I will use him where he can create synergy between the ball and the defense.”
