The baseball world is abuzz this season as Korean and U.S. professional baseball have two hot-hitting, fast-footed superstars of the same age. In South Korea, it’s KIA third baseman Kim Do-young (21), and in the United States, it’s Cincinnati Reds shortstop Eli De La Cruz (22). Kim is a right-handed hitter, while De La Cruz is a switch-hitter who changes his bat depending on the pitcher.
On March 2, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced that Kim and six other players were selected as MVP candidates for the March-April monthly awards. Among them, Kim stood out the most. In 33 games this season, Kim batted .333 with 10 home runs, 26 RBIs, 31 runs scored, a .993 OPS, and 14 stolen bases. He ranks second in stolen bases, second in runs scored, third in home runs, and fourth in OPS.
He hit his 10th home run of the season against Kiwoom on May 25, becoming the first KBO player to hit 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases in a single month. He has been described as a “hexagonal player” (a term used to describe a player with a high level of all stats) because of his long batting average, focus, and defense.
He was nicknamed the “second Lee Jong-beom” in high school (Gwangju Dongseong High School), and his stats show that it wasn’t an exaggeration. If the current trend continues, 토토사이트 the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases recorded by Lee, Lee Byung-kyu, Jay Davis, Hong Hyun-woo, Park Jae-hong, and Eric Thames are within reach.
Thames went 40-40 with 47 home runs and 40 doubles in 2015.
“Considering he’s only 21 years old, in his third year of professional baseball, it’s hard not to be interested in how much more he can do,” says Kim. “I’ve been studying mentally lately,” Kim said, “and it feels good to be criticized. I will overcome it with my strengths.” After giving up the shortstop position to teammate Park Chan-ho (29), Kim now plays mostly at third base.
If Korea has Kim Do-young, Major League Baseball (MLB) has Eli de la Cruz. Reds legend Joey Votto, 41, called him “the fastest, strongest, most powerful, most shoulder-strong player I’ve ever seen.” It’s a sight to behold as the six-foot-four-inch man leaves the field in a cloud of dust.
In his rookie year last year and second this season, he’s batting .280 with eight home runs, 18 doubles, and 27 RBIs in 31 games. He’s first in the league (National League) in stolen bases, second in home runs, fourth in runs scored, and fifth in OPS. At this rate, he’s on pace for 41 home runs and 94 stolen bases for the season. As a rookie last year, he was described as having “excellent stolen bases and defense, but weak contact at the plate,” but he seems to be overcoming that weakness this season.
Local media outlets are predicting that he will “compete with Ohtani for the National League MVP this season.”
De la Cruz showed his true colors against the Milwaukee Brewers in July of last year when he started at first base, stole second and third base, and hit a home run. 파워볼게임 Last month against the Brewers, he hit a massive 137-meter home run and followed it up with a quick-footed inside-the-park home run.
For all of these young superstar hopefuls, the key will be whether they can stay injury-free and maintain a steady pace, which is more important than peaking. “As the season continues, there may be slumps due to physical fitness or other issues,” says Kia head coach Lee Bum-ho. We need to manage that part well,” said Lee.