Doosan has a 1R big gun that resembles Ohtani's physique? "If baseball is good, it will happen.""Korean version of Murakami" is expected to be born
Doosan has a 1R big gun that resembles Ohtani's physique? "If baseball is good, it will happen.""Korean version of Murakami" is expected to be born
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"That player is always good at baseball."
At the Blacktown Spring Camp near Sydney, Australia, Doosan Bears coach Lee Seung-yeop looked over with satisfaction. It is Kim Dong-joon, a left-handed slugger from the Bears' first rounder.
Kim Dong-joon, a former left-handed pitcher and left-handed Gunsan Commercial High School student born in 2002, wore Doosan's uniform as the ninth overall pick in the second round of 2022. Kim Dong-joon, who was a pitcher when he joined the team, moved to Doosan and turned into a batter to increase his competitiveness as a fielder.
Kim Dong-joon served in the military active duty and quickly resolved military issues when he was discharged from the military in June last year. Kim played in 36 Futures League games in the 2024 season and posted a batting average of 0.236, 29 hits, two homers, 16 RBIs, 41 strikeouts, eight walks, an on-base percentage of 0.280, and a slugging percentage of 0.342.
Kim Dong-joon displayed an outstanding batting performance in the Miyazaki Education League last fall. It was the moment when he displayed his great qualities as the Korean version of Murakami Mune-taka (Yakurt Swallows). Murakami, a left-handed infielder born in 2000, stands 188 centimeters tall and weighs 97 kilograms, and has established himself as a next-generation powerhouse in Japanese baseball.
"Kim Dong-joon was the player who not only hit the best batting average in his team but also made the most number of good pitches that can fly forward against Japanese pitchers in the Education League last year," said Koji Goto, the senior coach who watched Kim Dong-joon. "I watched Murakami for about a year when he was with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, and I believe he has the talent to grow that much. Murakami also had a tremendous number of strikeouts in his first year. However, he showed completely different performance in his second year after receiving continuous opportunities."
Kim Dong-joon is drawing attention as he is 193 centimeters tall like Ohtani and has a similar appearance. In addition, his body shape has significantly changed due to increased muscle mass compared to the early days when he joined the team.
Kim Dong-joon, who met with reporters at the Black Town Spring Camp in Australia on the 6th, said, "I've heard that he feels similar to Ohtani because he is tall (laughs). In his first season as a player, he was just fat. After joining the team, he started weight training hard, losing baby fat and gaining muscles. It's not bad to hear good things about your appearance or body type, but in the end, as the coach said, playing baseball well comes first."
Kim Dong-joon picked veteran Kim Jae-hwan, who has the same left-handed hitting style, as his role model within the team. Kim Dong-joon said, "My role model since I was a student was Kim Jae-hwan. I was always curious how I could hit a ball like that when I was the same Korean. I also had a dream to go to Doosan and become a left-handed slugger like Kim Jae-hwan."
But that doesn't mean making changes to follow Kim Jae-hwan's batting mechanism. Kim Dong-joon had confidence in his current hitting mechanism. 카지노
Kim Dong-joon said, "My batting mechanism felt so good that I couldn't think of changing anything. I have been batting with a toe tap since the last finishing training session. Most of my seniors play with their legs raised, but I feel like they have the opposite style when I hit and hit their legs. I think the balance and timing itself are the best now."
Some of them were also the biggest helpers. Kim expressed his gratitude, saying, "C coach Cho Sung-hwan helped me greatly."
Kim Dong-joon said, "I felt like I had found something for myself since the educational league last fall. Coach Cho Sung-hwan really helped me a lot in the process. It was great that he always said good things in the mental part rather than the technical part. Even if I quit playing baseball later, I want to see him for a long time."
Kim Dong-joon is engaged in defense training for the first baseman in the spring camp. However, there is a possibility that he will move back to the outfield, not the infield, in the future. Of course, the competition for outfield is the fiercest right now.
In response, Kim Dong-joon said, "I've practiced first base defense since the second half of last year, and I think I've improved a lot. Of course, I'm more confident in outfield defense as I've played since I was young. If I can play first base and outfield together, it will benefit me more, so I'll try my best wherever I go. Even if the outfield is more competitive, it's okay because it's inevitable in professional baseball."
With the goal of the 2025 season, Kim Dong-joon announced the number of home runs per at-bat as well as receiving the opportunity to play at-bats in the first division. "I hope to get as many opportunities as possible to play at-bats in the first division. If such an opportunity comes, I will aim to hit 10 home runs per 100 at-bats," Kim Dong-joon vowed. Doosan wants to grow Kim Dong-joon into the next big guns. Attention is focusing on whether Kim Dong-joon will be able to grow into a successor to Kim Jae-hwan by unleashing his potential as a first-rounder.