KT Wiz’s Kim Sang-soo (33) played 580.1 innings at shortstop in the first half. That’s the fifth-most defensive innings among all shortstops in the league. Starting in 2019, after spending the last four seasons at second base, he returned to his natural position at shortstop and has performed consistently without any physical difficulties.

Kim played 73 games in the first half of the season, including 70 starts. When asked about the physical demands of the first half of the season, he replied, “The coaching staff manages it so well that they ask me first. Thanks to that, I don’t feel any pressure at all.” When KT coach Lee Kang-cheol heard this, he laughed and said, “I don’t know what I would have done without (Kim). I often check his intention to play, but he says he’s fine first. I’m just grateful for that.”

Kim plays a variety of roles on offense as well as defense. At the start of the season, he batted ninth. The coaching staff wanted to ease the offensive burden. However, since then, he has continued to perform beyond expectations in the League Offseason. He has a .290 batting average and a .357 on-base percentage in the leadoff spot. He also has a .387 on-base percentage, which is higher than his season average (.310). He’s been strong at the plate, collecting 31 RBI.메이저사이트

KT signed Kim Sang-soo from the free agent market last winter (four years, 2.9 billion won total) after the military enlistment of Shim Woo-joon, who had contributed as a starting shortstop until last year, left a void. It was a stabilizing move. For Kim, who had only played for the Samsung Lions, the move was a turning point. He settled in with KT, maintaining his “career-high” performance in both offense and defense. After seven months in the KT uniform, he has become an “irreplaceable resource.

“The batters behind me were so good that I was able to go out there without any pressure, which helped me achieve good results. The team’s pitching is so good. I will do my best to help the team reach the postseason,” he said.