LG Twins’ rookie infielder Moon Bo-kyung (22) played a full-time season for the first team last year. At the year-end awards ceremony, he finished second in voting for the Golden Gloves third baseman category.
He is second only to Choi Jeong (SSG), who is considered the best third baseman in the league. Moon Bo-kyung stood out at once among young third basemen in their 20s in the KBO League. Moon Bo-kyung, who revealed her goal for the Taegeuk mark, aims for the Hangzhou Asian Games. He has to beat young geopo prospects such as Han Dong-hee (23, Lotte) and Noh Si-hwan (22, Hanwha).
Moon Bo-kyung, who joined LG in the 2nd 3rd round (25th overall) of the 2019 rookie draft, debuted in the first team in May 2021. When he exploded a 40% batting average in the Futures League as a foster player until April, he was called up to the first team with official registration as a player in May.
His first year was a 2.3 3 (64 hits in 278), 8 home runs, 39 RBIs, and an OPS of .700. He played an active role with an RBI OPS of .833. He was seventh in league hitting.
He quickly became the starting third baseman and solved one of LG’s problems. Last year, Moon Bo-kyung was not only third base, but also first base. In the second half of the game, he played first base instead of Chae Eun-seong to strengthen the defense.
This year, the third baseman is fixed. LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop said, “Moon Bo-kyung will only play as a third baseman. He would not let the first baseman do it,” he professed. A plan to concentrate more and grow by concentrating only on third base without going back and forth between positions. As for first baseman, Lee Jae-won will be the first to receive many opportunities, and veteran Kim Min-seong will step in in the big defense situation.토토사이트
Moon Bo-kyung, whom I met at the Arizona spring camp in the United States, responded to the manager’s plan to exclusively take on the third baseman, saying, “I want to do my job well in the given position. I don’t think about which position I will go to or not,” he said.
A year ago, at the spring camp held in Tongyeong, Korea, Moon Bo-gyeong said, “I want to hit well. We are focusing on offense,” he said, and showed a fierce blow during the year. Moon Bo-kyung, ahead of the new season, said, “It’s good to do as much as last year, and it’s even better if you improve further. He wants to hit the bat well this year,” he said.
His performance last year showed achievements such as second place in the Golden Glove third baseman and the WBC national team reserve list. Moon Bo-kyung said, “I was greedy. Last year, it was an honor just to be nominated. This year, I want to raise my goal and go to the national team, and I also want to win the Golden Glove.”
There are also Asian Games held during the season and APBC competitions after the season. It is a national team made up of young prospects under the age of 24. Moon Bo-kyung said, “It is an honor as an athlete to wear the Taegeuk mark. It’s not like it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity… He said, “The national team has never been able to do it while playing baseball. I went to the national team once when I was in elementary school little baseball, but I failed in the Asian preliminary round.”
The Asian Games is a third baseman competition with Han Dong-hee and Roh Si-hwan. Moon Bo-kyung said, “Even if I compete, I have to do well first to be a candidate. Rather than caring about anyone, it’s a fight with myself. If I can’t do it, it means nothing, so I have to do well without caring about anyone.”
Han Dong-hee and Noh Si-hwan are promising giants who appeal for their long hitting power. After hitting 18 home runs in 2021, Noh Si-hwan took a swing to reduce strikeouts last year, recording a batting average of 2.88 and hitting 6 homers and a slugging percentage (.382). This year, he is concentrating on hitting for long hits again.
Han Dong-hee, who recorded 17 homers for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021, had a splendid April last year, but then went downhill and lost long hits in the second half. He was named league MVP for the month of April when he batted 4.2 with 7 runs, 7 homers, and 22 RBI with a 1.249 OPS. However, the season finished with a batting average of 307 (140 hits in 456 bats), 14 home runs, and an OPS of .817.
Moon Bo-gyeong was ahead of Han Dong-hee and Roh Si-hwan in defense percentage. In defense at third base, Han Dong-hee (975 innings, 19 errors) had a fielding percentage of .924, Noh Si-hwan (595⅔ innings, 7 errors) had a fielding percentage of .956, and Moon Bo-kyung (749 innings, 5 errors) had a fielding percentage of .972. /orange@osen.co.kr