Kia Tigers’ first baseman for the 2024 season is still a question mark.
KIA was virtually without a first baseman last year. Hwang Dae-in, who was a full-time starter in the 2022 season, stepped down after struggling, and Byun Woo-hyuk, who was a candidate for the rotation, couldn’t provide a clear answer. Outfielder Choi Won-jun, who had just completed his military service, was used at first base. After the expanded roster, Oh Sun-woo was called up, but it was clear that the offense still had a lot to work on.
As a result, it was expected that KIA would use the stabling league to reinforce the first base position. So far, the focus seems to be on internal competition rather than reinforcement. 안전놀이터 The competition to find a new starting first baseman will take place through the upcoming spring training camp in February.
In the meantime, a new option has emerged from the final camp.
Outfielder Woo-Sung Lee, 30, put on a first base glove. Lee, who rotated as a backup outfielder until last season, began training at first base in the Okinawa final camp. “I want to try playing first base,” he said, and the coaches gave him a backup shot, going over every detail of his defensive movements and tips.
Lee previously had a career-high season. In 2023, he batted .355 (107-for-107) with eight home runs, 58 RBIs, and a .780 OPS in 126 games. He stayed consistent through an uneven playing time and provided his team with Altoran-like hits, home runs, and RBIs whenever the going got tough.
The transformation could have been a poisonous one. But Lee’s gaze is focused on survival. He hopes that the challenge of playing first base, which is an uncontested position, will give him a new leap forward rather than the outfield, which is solidly guarded by Na Sung-bum and Choi Won-jun Socrates. “I’ve played 10 seasons as an outfielder, but it’s a great experience for me to learn as an infielder,” Lee said, “I’m not that old yet. If I challenge myself like this and succeed, it will be very helpful.”
If Lee settles in at first base, Kia can remove a big question mark for the new season.
Signing catcher Kim Tae-gun to a multi-year, non-free-agent contract helped alleviate some of that anxiety, but the infield is still dealing with the aftermath of injuries to shortstop Park Chan-ho and third baseman Kim Do-young. With their early-season status unclear, the team will have to rely heavily on the leadership and skills of second baseman Kim Sun-bin, who signed a three-year, $3 billion contract. With no solid backup at any position in the infield, the hole at first base, the starting point of the defense, will be felt even more. If Lee Woo-sung can solve this problem, it will not only stabilize the defense at first base, but it will also give another first baseman, Byun Woo-hyuk, more time to develop and become a backup.
In the professional world, 파워볼실시간 transformation is innocent. If it leads to success, everyone can laugh. All eyes will be on Lee as he takes the first step in his transformation before turning 30, an inflection point in his baseball career.