It was a terrible thing for the KIA Tigers. But I found this player. He wasn’t that sad. 먹튀검증
KIA ‘Nastar’ Na Seong-beom (34) ended up only playing in 58 games. The national team preparing for the World Baseball Classic has not been able to participate normally. In the end, the entire exhibition game was skipped, and a ‘long-term absence’ became a reality. The calf injury was unexpectedly serious.
He returned in mid-June, but ended the season after injuring his hamstring while running on base against LG in Gwangju on September 19. The performance in 58 games was so inhumane, but the situation was so bad that KIA wanted to ask for more of Na Seong-beom’s crazy performance. It was true that KIA did not gain momentum due to Na Seong-beom’s departure in the tough battle for the top 5. The 2023 season is very sad for both KIA and Na Seong-beom.
However, Na Seong-beom’s injury also served as an opportunity for the player to shine. This is right-handed outfielder Lee Woo-seong (29). Strictly speaking, he was able to coexist with Na Seong-beom throughout the season. This is because only the designated hitter (Choi Hyung-woo), center fielder (Socrates Brito), and right fielder (Na Seong-beom) were fixed.
However, no one would disagree with the assessment that Lee Woo-sung made up for much of the actual clutch ability that could be expected from Na Seong-beom. Throughout April and May, Lee Woo-sung and Ko Jong-wook played as starting outfielders, filling the void in the central batting lineup.
In 126 games this year, Woo-sung Lee recorded 107 hits in 355 at-bats, a batting average of 0.301, 8 home runs, 58 RBIs, 39 runs, 8 stolen bases, a slugging percentage of 0.417, an on-base percentage of 0.363, an OPS of 0.780, and a batting average of 0.320. It may be said that his home runs and RBIs were low for a central hitter, but he was the second strongest scorer on the team after Park Chan-ho (0.355). OPS is also 5th on the team.
According to the baseball statistics website Stats, he ranks 17th among outfielders with WAR 2.24. This means that even among the league’s starting outfielders, he had a medium level of nutritional value. He didn’t put up league-leading numbers, but no one expected him to put up numbers like these. The prevailing view is that without Lee Woo-sung, KIA would not have made a leap forward after establishing a complete group in July. There were many experts praising the smooth swing mechanics.
Lee Woo-sung’s virtue is that he is a complete player. Compared to his size, his defense, main power, and operational ability are all above average. This is why coach Kim Jong-guk has consistently used it in the first team since last year. The surprise squeeze bunt against Suwon KT Wiz on the 4th is a representative example. He threw his body at a ball that was far out of the strike zone and bunted, allowing the runner on third base to score.Now, it is difficult to imagine KIA’s main batting lineup and outfield without Lee Woo-sung. If he becomes a full-time starter starting this year, he can take comfort in even if KIA’s 2023 season fails. He is a player whose 2024 season is even more anticipated.