Park Chan-ho goes 8-for-11 with 8 RBIs in 3-game series against Kiwoom
Leads shortstops in WAR … only shortstop to start every game
Leads all shortstops in batting average, hits, and stolen bases
Choi Won-jun struggled and was promoted to leadoff hitter … Last crutch in the offense
Park Chan-ho’s stamina is KIA’s biggest challenge…no alternative
KIA, 2 games behind 4th place… Park Chan-ho must stay strong to reach the fourth round
KIA’s Chan-ho Park is on a tear. In the last three games of the series, he has hit 11 homers and 8 RBIs to lead KIA’s winning streak (뉴스1)
메이저사이트 KIA is back in fifth place for the first time in a long time.
Doosan, which was riding a nine-game winning streak until the start of the second half of the season, struggled with an injury to Yang Ji. On August 18 at home against Kiwoom, KIA defeated Kiwoom thanks to Socrates’ brilliant performance to get back to 5 wins and create a bridgehead for the top four.
From now on, it’s a battle of survival. It’s more about who can hold on than who can go up. This is a tough time for the team, both physically and in terms of rotation, as it’s time for a full sprint. However, there is one player who stands out. Shortstop Chan Ho Park.
Park is currently playing in every game. In fact, he’s the only player on the roster who is playing every game at shortstop. And he has the highest batting average. (Photo = Yonhap)
In the three-game series, Chan-ho Park was insane. He had eight hits in 11 at-bats. Every at-bat was a hit, and there were very few at-bats where he didn’t get a hit. KIA struggled mightily against Kiwoom, but thanks to Park Chan-ho’s performance, they were able to record a winning series.
The team as a whole is not in great shape right now. For starters, Yang Hyun-jong was sent down to the Futures due to his extreme poor performance. Mario Sanchez, who replaced Medina, hasn’t been as good as expected either. Lee Yi-ri and Yoon Young-cheol have held up well, but Panoni is the only player in the starting lineup who can actually go the distance.
Add to that the fact that Jeong Hae-young and Choi Ji-min aren’t in the best of shape in the bullpen, and KIA absolutely needs its bats and defense to step up. If the batting and defense are even slightly off, they will give up a lot of runs and collapse.
If Park Chan-ho goes down, the defense has no alternative. (Photo = KIA Tigers)
In that sense, the performance of Park Chan-ho, the center of the offense, is very important. In fact, coach Kim Jong-kook wanted to use Park at the No. 9 position as much as possible.
This is because he knows how hard it can be. But when Choi Won-jun went into a severe slump, he was forced to move Park to the number one spot. I realize that Park Chan-ho, who is currently playing all of his games at shortstop, has a hard time batting first, but I don’t have any other option.
Kim Do-young is not good enough to bat first. He hasn’t drawn any walks in the top of the order, and Choi Won-jun is under a lot of pressure at the top of the order. That leaves Park Chan-ho.
Kim Jong-kook wants to use Park Chan-ho in the ninth spot. But with Choi Won-jun struggling, he has no choice but to move him up to No. 1. (Photo = Yonhap News Agency)
The same goes for the defense. With Park Chan-ho playing well in defense, KIA’s backline has regained its stability. Kim Do-young has also settled in perfectly at third base.
Currently, Park Chan-ho is on the verge of his first career triple. His batting average is the highest among all shortstops with regular at-bats. He also leads the league in WAR at 2.71 (according to Statistiz). He also leads the league in stolen bases with 19. He also has the most hits. He’s the only player in the league who starts every game at shortstop. That’s enough for him to have a shot at the Golden Glove. He’s one of the favorites, along with Oh Ji-hwan.
On the verge of his first career triple-double. Can Park Chan-ho lead KIA to the final four, and if he does, the Golden Glove will follow. (Photo = KIA Tigers)
However, I am worried about his stamina. It’s a tough time for them, so it wouldn’t be surprising if their pace suddenly drops at some point.
In addition, KIA has the most games remaining among the 10 teams. It’s not easy to manage fitness. But there is no alternative. Park Chan-ho needs to hold up his end of the bargain in the offense and defense if KIA is to finish in the top four.
Can Chan-ho lead the team to the top four in the remaining 46 games and achieve a career-high triple-digit batting average? If he does, his first golden glove will come naturally.