Wizards Legion lead-off Kim Min-hyuk (28)토스카지노 tied the record for most hits in a single game in his career. This is his 10th year as a professional. And this season, he is finally challenging for a career-high season.
KT Wiz won their 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League away game against the Samsung Lions 8-7 at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 23rd. With the win, KT avenged the previous day’s loss on the 22nd to complete the sweep. With a record of 39 wins, two draws and 42 losses this season, KT remained in sixth place in the league. They are 0.5 games behind the fifth-place Lotte Giants. The fourth-place NC Dinos are three games back.
Kim Min-hyuk, who started in leadoff and right field, went 3-for-6 with a home run, four RBIs and one run scored. After a grounder to third base in the first inning, Kim led off the third with a single up the middle. However, he was forced out at second base on a deflected grounder to second by Kim Sang-soo’s pitch.
Kim came through in the fourth inning. With runners on first and second, he hit a two-run double to right-centre field to tie the game at 3-2. In the fifth, he struck out on three pitches with the bases loaded.
In the seventh inning, Kim’s bat shone again. With two outs and runners on first and second, Bae Jeong-dae hit a single to left to make it 5-4. Kim Min-hyuk stepped up to the plate and hit a two-run double to left-centre, effectively sealing the game. The score was 7-4. In the end, KT scored one more run on an RBI single by Kim Sang-soo to win the game 8-7.
Kim Min-hyuk’s four RBIs on the day tied his career high for RBIs in a single game. Kim had previously gone 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs in a home game against Suwon on 4 October last year, coincidentally against Samsung.
After the game, Kim Min-hyuk said, “I try not to make a distinction between good and bad hitting, even though I have hit in 11 consecutive games and tied the record for most RBIs in a single game. If you have a bad situation, you can fall into the trap of thinking you’re not hitting well. “I’m training with the belief in myself that I’ve been following the routine every day and the results are good,” he said, adding, “I think my hit today was thanks to the rice that (Hwang) Jae-gyun bought for me the day before.
KT’s Kim Min-hyuk as a rookie (2014). /Photo courtesy of KT Wiz
In 69 games this season, Kim is batting .313 (240-for-75) with 13 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 26 RBI, 40 runs scored, four stolen bases, 21 walks, 34 strikeouts, a .408 on-base percentage and a .370 slugging percentage. At this rate, he is well on his way to a career-high season. Kim had his highest batting average (0.320) in 2021, but he only played 75 games then, and last season he played a career-high 132 games but hit just .284.
“This year, like last year, I went into the season with a goal of 70 hits. This year, thankfully, I’m playing a lot of games as a starter, so I think I need to reset my goal. Playing a lot of games as a starter (this season) took a toll on my body. Even (Bae) Jung-dae, who played 144 games every season, said it was hard, so after hearing that, I was able to accept the pressure,” he said.
Kim has already surpassed his goal of 70 hits. His batting average in July was a staggering 0.429 (21 for 49), and he’s showing off a highly sensitive batting average. He’s already ranked ninth in the league in batting average. How far can Kim soar in the rest of the season? KT fans are excited to find out.
KT’s Kim Min-hyuk. /Photo courtesy of KT Wiz
Article courtesy of Star News