LG manager Yeom Kyung-yup used to bat Go Jong-wook (34-KIA) in the No. 2 spot when he was with Nexen (now Kiwoom). Recently, KIA manager Kim Jong-kook has also experimented with moving Go Jong-wook forward to the second spot.
In 64 games at second base this season, Ko Jong-wook has batted 3-for-2 with eight RBIs (21 in 64 at-bats). In the No. 6 spot (46 games)온라인바카라, the next most common spot in the batting order, his batting average dropped to 2-for-6 (12 hits in 46 at-bats).
Shin Min-jae (27) has recently been batting second for LG. We asked Yeom to compare Go Jong-wook to Shin Min-jae. Shin Min-jae has also received a lot of trust from Yeom recently.
On the 24th, the team played a home game against Lotte in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. Before the game, Yeom said, “(The late) Jong-wook is a better hitter than (Shin) Min-jae,” but added, “Min-jae has been playing a lot of defense lately, so I feel more confident. He is showing signs of continued improvement.”
Ko Jong-wook found a new home with KIA after being released by SSG last year. As a backup last season, he appeared in 62 games, batting .283 (30-for-106) with two home runs, 14 RBI, and 13 runs scored. This season, he’s gotten more playing time and is batting 3-for-6 (186-for-57) with two home runs, 22 RBIs and 23 runs scored in 80 games.
Shin Min-jae hits. Yonhap News Agency
Shin Min-jae has put down roots in the LG batting order this season. He was often used as a pinch-hitter in the early part of the season, but in June, he got a chance to start. After starting the season in the bottom of the order, he has used his quick feet and precise batting to earn the No. 2 spot.
In Yeom’s mind, the ideal No. 2 hitter is a “power hitter with high range. In 89 games this season, Shin Min-jae has lived up to Yeom’s expectations, batting .326 (57-for-175) with 21 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases. In particular, he has shown excellent operational skills, ranking first in stolen bases.
When asked what to expect from Shin Min-jae in the No. 2 spot, Yeom compared him to Moon Sung-ju, who batted second earlier in the season.
“When you put (Moon) Sung-ju in the No. 2 spot, he can only attack, but Min-jae can both attack and operate,” Yeom said. “There are more things that Min-jae can do for the team right now than Sung-ju can do when (Hong) Chang-ki, who has a high batting average, is out,” he said. “Baseball is a game of probability anyway. If you look at the odds of getting a leadoff hit, Min-jae has a higher chance.”
As for the current batting order, Yeom is generally happy with it. “If there are some changes, it will be in the No. 2 and No. 8-9 batting order,” he said, but Shin Min-jae’s recent performances make him a solid No. 2 hitter.