There is no position given by Kim Do-young.
As a result, from May 2022 to the present, KIA's main third baseman is Ryu Ji-hyuk (29). This is something no one expected. After taking office in 2022, director Kim Jong-guk steadily gave attention to Kim Do-young, a 'special rookie'. It is also true that Kim Do-young won the batting champion and the most hits king in last year's demonstration game because of his own preparation, but also that coach Kim Jong-guk gave him enough opportunities.
Coach Kim has consistently appointed Kim Do-yeong as the starting leadoff and third baseman since the Tucson Spring Camp practice game this year. On top of that, he tried to give a chance at third base to transfer student Woo-hyeok Byun, a prospect. In fact, Byun Woo-hyeok usually plays as a first baseman, but occasionally plays as a third baseman. During his time at Hanwha, his main position was third base.
In fact, last year and this year, director Kim's 'initial idea' for Ryu Ji-hyeok was a backup. I would have considered the fact that Ryu Ji-hyeok is so versatile and can play all positions in the infield. However, Kim Do-young was virtually pushed out of the starting lineup by trial and error in April last year, and this year, he left after two games in the opening due to an instep injury. Byun Woo-hyuk recently hit a grand slam home run as a first baseman, but his average of 10 percent is his Achilles heel.
In the end, Ryu Ji-hyeok has consistently played as the starting third baseman since May of last year. In 127 games, he had a batting read more average of .274, 2 homers, 48 RBIs, 55 runs, and an OPS of .715. He stood tall in the hot corner this season as well. Even better than last year. In 17 games, batting average 0.345, 2 RBI, 6 runs, OPS 0.767. 8th in league batting average, 17th in on-base percentage (0.403)
Ryu Ji-hyeok continued to lead off from the match against 가상축구 Gocheok Kiwoom on the 15th. He is the perfect replacement for Doyoung Kim's role. If you know it, Ryu Ji-hyeok is also a player who is equally equipped with karate. It is true that KIA regards Kim Do-young as the future leader, but Ryu Ji-hyuk is also a waste of time to rot. Since his days at Doosan, he has done well in any position, any batting order, and any role.
At this point, he's been active as a leadoff, getting on base, hitting consistently and providing chances to his teammates. In the meantime, his batting line has been stagnant, but it is also true that he is on the verge of reviving little by little, starting with the 3rd consecutive sweep of Gwangju and Samsung on the 21st and 23rd. The synergy between leadoff Ryu Ji-hyeok and the center line is the key to KIA's rise to the middle ranks.
On the other hand, if Ryu Ji-hyeok maintains a relatively steady pace throughout the first half, it is expected that he will compete properly for the starting third baseman with Kim Do-young, who can return at the end of the first half or in the second half. If Ryu Ji-hyeok continues like this, no matter how much Kim Do-young returns, the justification for giving him the starter will disappear. The KIA lineup should not forget Ryu Ji-hyuk's presence at this point.