KBO rookies go from preseason heroes to early regular season zeroes

▲ Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers takes a swing against the Hanwha Eagles during the bottom of the fourth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 5, 2022. (Yonhap)

▲ Kia Tigers' shortstop Kim Do-yeong fields a grounder hit by Lee Sung-kon of the Hanwha Eagles during the top of the sixth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 7, 2022. (Yonhap)

▲ Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers takes a swing against the Hanwha Eagles during the bottom of the second inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 7, 2022. (Yonhap)

▲ Song Chan-eui of the LG Twins (L) takes a swing against the Kiwoom Heroes during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 5, 2022, in this photo provided by the Twins. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ LG Twins' right fielder Song Chan-eui (C) is greeted by teammates during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 6, 2022, in this photo provided by the Twins. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ LG Twins' right fielder Song Chan-eui gets under a fly ball during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on April 6, 2022, in this photo provided by the Twins. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

baseball-rookies

KBO rookies go from preseason heroes to early regular season zeroes

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- One led the preseason in batting average. The other hit more home runs than anyone in those exhibition games in March. But in the early goings of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season, neither has made much of an impact.

Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers and Song Chan-eui of the LG Twins, both rookies, appear to be the latest examples that lend more credence to the old baseball adage: Preseason numbers should be taken with a grain of salt.

Kim, the territorial draft choice by the Gwangju-based Tigers last year, batted .432 in 12 preseason games with a couple of home runs and three steals. He pieced together a league-leading 19 hits without drawing a walk. Still just 18 years old, Kim wasn't messing around when he stepped into the box.

With his impressive skill set, Kim began drawing comparisons to a Tigers legend even before his professional debut. In terms of their abilities to handle the bat, run the bases and play defense, it wasn't difficult to note similarities between Kim and Lee Jong-beom, one of the most complete players the KBO has seen.

Perhaps that weight of expectations was too much for Kim to bear. He was hitless in his first five regular season games, going 0-for-17 with six strikeouts and one walk. Suddenly, the hype train for the Rookie of the Year favorite started sputtering.

Tigers' manager Kim Jong-kook didn't ease his prized pupil into action, instead throwing him right into the fire as the leadoff man on Opening Day on April 2.

Kim Do-yeong was back in the same spot at the top of the order the next day, before the skipper moved him down to the seventh spot last Tuesday. The rookie then batted in the ninth spot in the next three games. His first career hit came against the SSG Landers on Saturday, the third of those three games.

Kim was promptly moved back up to the seventh spot Sunday. And by the sound of it, it may not be long before he is back at or near the top of the lineup.

"He has to overcome pressure to become a superstar," Kim Jong-kook said Sunday. "Now that he has the first hit out of the way, I hope he starts enjoying himself more. I am sure all that attention was getting to him."

The rookie had his first hit in the sixth inning off SSG starter Kim Kwang-hyun, the former major leaguer marking his KBO regular season return. Do-yeong had his second hit against reliever Kim Sang-su in the eighth inning.

After going 0-for-4 the day after the multihit effort, Kim Do-yeong is batting .080 (2-for-25) with six strikeouts in seven games. But his manager doesn't seem overly concerned.

"He looked great at the plate (on Saturday). I think the second hit was even better than the first one," manager Kim said. "I'd like to see him swing the bat with more confidence from now on."

Kim Do-yeong arrived in the KBO with far more fanfare than Song, who was drafted in the seventh round in 2017 and didn't even so much get a preseason at-bat until this year. The 23-year-old still qualifies as a rookie in the KBO, with only two partial seasons in the minor league under his belt. For a while in March, it seemed as though Song would give Kim a run for his money in the Rookie of the Year battle. Song led the KBO with six home runs in 12 preseason games and slugged at a .795 clip.

Song picked up his first career regular season hit in his second game last Tuesday but has otherwise been quiet. He is hitting .188 (3-for-16) with five strikeouts in six games.

While Kim will likely keep getting opportunities at third base or shortstop for the Tigers, Song may be the odd man out in an outfield logjam for the Twins.

Song got four starts in the right field and another as designated hitter, while the regular right fielder Hong Chang-ki was recovering from a back injury. Hong made his season debut Sunday as DH, while Song remained on the bench. Once Hong resumes his role as an everyday outfielder, joining other regulars Park Hae-min center field and Kim Hyun-soo in left, there simply won't be any room for Song.

Song isn't even a natural outfielder, but the Twins have been scrambling to keep his bat in the lineup without exposing his defensive shortcomings too much. Song got some preseason reps at shortstop, his primary position in high school, and at second base. He spent the 2021 season in the minors playing first base and third base.

With the Twins' infield also crowded with more able defenders, Song may be best suited as a part-time corner outfielder who can spell veterans and an occasional DH.

Song's manager, Ryu Ji-hyun, is still convinced Song can hit in the KBO.

"We received some great reports on Song Chan-eui from the minor league last year, and I kept a close eye on him during winter camp," Ryu said last week. Song put up a .301/391/.568 line with seven home runs and 23 RBIs in 55 minor league games in 2021.

"I didn't think this was just a flash in the pan," Ryu added. "I felt he could be a solid presence at the plate. He is also an aggressive hitter, and that's one of his strengths."

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