KT Wiz had a big problem after last season. Shim Woo-jun, the main infielder who could no longer delay enlisting in the military, received a final notification of acceptance from the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu). KT had to find an alternative right away as there was a gap in the center line.
A breakthrough could have been found through internal training, but KT’s eyes turned to the FA (free agent) market. The card KT chose was ‘Veteran’ Kim Sang-soo. The terms of the contract were a total of 2.9 billion won over 4 years (down payment of 800 million won, annual salary of 1.5 billion won, option of 600 million won).
Since joining the Samsung Lions in 2009, Kim Sang-soo has been active as a ‘one-club man’. Even when he obtained his first FA qualification after the 2018 season, he signed with Samsung for a total of 1.8 billion won over 3 years (down payment 600 million won, annual salary 250 million won, incentive 450 million won). Not many people expected Kim Sang-soo to leave Daegu.
Kim Sang-soo, who has mainly focused on second base since 2019, prepared for the 2023 season as a shortstop, which was his original position. He was also capable of defending second base, but ultimately KT recruited Kim Sang-soo to fill the void left by Shim Woo-jun.
In April alone, Kim Sang-soo was sluggish with 19 hits in 76 at-bats in 23 games, a batting average of 0.250, 9 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.599, but he succeeded in rebounding in May. Kim Sang-soo, who played in 23 games last month, recorded 26 hits in 78 at-bats, a batting average of 0.333, 8 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.839, entering the normal track.토토사이트
Kim Sang-soo showed his true value in the 3-game series against the Doosan Bears last weekend.
He led the team to a 13-3 victory with a whopping 3 hits including 1 double in the 3rd game. The next day, the team laid the foundation for a 5-2 come-from-behind victory by hitting 1 RBI and 2 bases at the bottom of the 2nd inning when the team was trailing 0-2.
According to the baseball statistics site ‘Staties’, Kim Sang-soo’s WAR (contribution to victory over substitute players) was 1.43, ranking first among fielders in the team. It is higher than foreign hitter Anthony Alford (1.36), whose OPS was over 1 for the month of April.
The reason why Kim Sang-soo is receiving attention is not just because he is good at hitting. He is also a hitter who can see the ball well.
Kim Sang-su’s pitches per plate appearance this season is 3.20, which is the eighth highest among all hitters in the league. His walk/strikeout ratio (0.91) was 13th overall in the league. If you narrow down the range within the team, the number of pitches per at-bat and the walk/strikeout ratio all rank first. As much as that, it is inevitable that pitchers facing KT will find it difficult to deal with Kim Sang-soo.
Kim Sang-soo is also quietly playing his role in defense. During his 49 games, he digested the most defensive innings (393) within the team, and, like a veteran, he boasts defense power above the league average. Now, it is not an exaggeration to say that Shim Woo-jun’s blank has been completely erased.
It is true that there was a question mark until KT recruited Kim Sang-soo. Moreover, after making his first 30% batting average in his debut in 2020, he did not show any significant activity for two years. As much as that, his first season in a new team was important from the player’s point of view, and he is responding to the team’s expectations with results.