Can Doosan, 'Lee Seung-yeop's Persona' be Kim Jae-ho's successor
Can Doosan, 'Lee Seung-yeop's Persona' be Kim Jae-ho's successor
Blog Article
Will Lee Yoo-chan (26), favored by head coach Lee Seung-yeop, fill the vacancy of Kim Jae-ho, who announced his retirement after the 2024 season.스포츠토토
Doosan is in a situation where it has to overhaul its infield system ahead of the 2025 season. Huh Kyung-min, who has been with Doosan for 16 years, signed an FA contract with KT Wiz for a total of 4 billion won (1.6 billion won in down payment, 1.8 billion won in annual salary, and 600 million won in option) for four years. "Don't worry too much because I'll be here forever," Huh told Doosan fans in July, but left for KT after declaring an opt-out.
After Huh Kyung-min left, another franchise star said goodbye to Doosan. It was Kim Jae-ho. Doosan announced on the 14th that "Kim Jae-ho recently announced his intention to retire to the club." Kim Jae-ho, who joined Doosan as the first pick in the 2004 rookie draft, played for Doosan for 21 years. Called the "genius shortstop," he contributed to three Korean Series wins (2015-2016-2019).
With the departure of Kim Jae-ho, who led the Doosan Bears' dynasty in the late 2010s, Lee Seung-yeop faced the task of finding a new shortstop. Although he has promising players who can play shortstop including Yeo Dong-gun and Park Jun-soon, these players are highly risky as they have never fully played as main players in the pro league.
Immediate power resources include Park Joon-young and Lee Yoo-chan. Among them, Park Joon-young is likely to fill Heo Kyung-min's gap, so Lee Yoo-chan is a player Doosan can consider as the next shortstop. Lee Yoo-chan wore Doosan's uniform as the 50th overall pick in the second five rounds in the 2017 rookie draft.
Lee began playing as the main infielder in the 2023 season after Lee Seung-yeop took the helm. Contrary to expectations, Lee's performance was disappointing. Lee was sluggish in 104 games in the 2023 season with a batting average of 0.243, one homer, six RBIs, and an OPS of 0.626. His offense was weak, but his defense was also below expectations. Lee, who played second, third, and shortstop all made 16 errors, showing his anxiety.
Despite the criticism from Doosan fans, he rebounded in the 2024 season. Lee Yoo-chan had a batting average of 0.277 with three homers, 23 RBIs and an OPS of 0.705 in 103 games this season. He elevated his batting average to the mid-to-late-20s, and his OPS exceeded 0.7.
His defense has also improved significantly. Lee Yoo-chan has grown into a utility player who can play both inside and outside the Doosan Bears by playing outfield as well as infielders. The number of errors he made was only three, down 13 from 16 in 2023.
Lee Yoo-chan, who improved his skills while playing both infield and outfield, is likely to receive an opportunity at the shortstop position next season. If Lee Yoo-chan shows the same performance as the 2024 season, he can firmly maintain his starting position. Attention is focusing on whether Lee Yoo-chan will be able to minimize Kim Jae-ho's vacancy.