Kia Tigers pitcher Kim Do-young said, "Stop being excited. Let's talk for at least three years."
Kia Tigers pitcher Kim Do-young said, "Stop being excited. Let's talk for at least three years."
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KIA infielder Kim Do-young (21) was the best hit product produced by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) this year.
He participated in 141 games this season with a batting average of 0.347 and 38 homers and 40 steals. His on-base plus slugging percentage combined with his on-base plus slugging percentage recorded a whopping 1.067. He ranked second in homers, third in batting average, first in runs scored, and first in OPS.
It is not just that. After the season's end, he participated in the "Premier 12" as a member of the national team, recording a batting average of 0.412 (7 hits in 17 at-bats) and sweeping three home runs and 10 RBIs, proving that he can also play in international competitions.
Against this backdrop, many media outlets seem to be making Kim Do-young's entry into the Major League a fait accompli. Some media outlets even compare her to potential promising players in the U.S., mentioning her ransom. However, it is true that the current situation sees zero possibility. Why.
The Major League is a place where only the world's best players come together. This makes it difficult for them to advance to the Major League, but many players disappear silently every year due to fierce competition. This is why they have to play three full-time seasons after their debut in the Major League to be eligible for salary adjustment. They also mean that they have performed well for three seasons consistently, not for a year or two, so they will be recognized as skills, not luck.
There was an outfielder Austin Meadows (29) who was familiar to Korean fans as well as Choi Ji-man (33) of Tampa Bay in the past. He was a top prospect when he was an amateur, as he was named the No. 9 player in the first round of the 2013 MLB Rookie Draft.
After making his Major League debut, he made a trade with Tampa Bay before growing into a starting lineup in the big leagues. Having his first 17 home runs in the big leagues, he hit 33 home runs in the 2019 season, and was named an All-Star. Due to the shortened season due to COVID-19, he had only four home runs in 2020, but he again hit 27 home runs in the season in 2021, earning a reputation as a leading player in the league.
However, that was it. After the season ended, Tampa Bay traded him to Detroit, and Meadows no longer had a stellar performance in the past. After failing to hit a single home run in 2022 and 2023, as well as suffering from injury, Detroit released Meadows as a non-tender after last year's season ended. This year, he seems to be nearing the end of his career without finding a team.
There are other cases like this.
Infielder Matt Duffy (33. Texas Rangers) made his Major League debut as a member of the San Francisco Giants in 2014. Playing in a total of 149 games in 2015, he recorded a batting average of 0.295 with 12 homers, 77 RBIs and 12 steals. His OPS also showed good performance with 0.762. After the season ended, he was recognized enough to rank second in the National League Rookie of the Year vote. 메이저사이트
When he was traded to Tampa Bay in 2018, he was good enough to hit 0.294. However, his performance deteriorated to 0.252 with one homer and 12 RBIs in the third year when he became eligible for salary adjustment. After the season ended, he was released by Tampa Bay, and later became a journeyman after moving to Texas after playing for the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, and Kansas City. He played in only four games in the big leagues last year, which allowed him to spend more time in the minor leagues.