Competition among domestic Kiwoom Heroes players for a spot in the outfield is expected to become fiercer.
Kiwoom will play next season with foreign hitters Yasiel Puig and Ruben Cardinez, both of whom are outfielders.
Puig, who played for Kiwoom two years ago, played right field at the time, and Cardinez, who briefly played for the Samsung Lions this year, played right field and center field.
While either Puig or Cadines may play the designated hitter role, there is also a possibility that both players will be responsible for the outfield.
If two seats are filled with foreign players, native outfielders will have to compete for one position.
Lee Ju-hyung, who has emerged as a key player in the team, is trying to solidify his position.
Lee Ju-hyung, who joined Kiwoom in a trade last year, played in 51 games with a batting average of 0.330 six home runs and 34 RBIs with an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.911, securing his position as the main player.
His batting average and OPS dropped to 0.266 and 0.754 in the 2024 season, respectively, but he recorded his first double-digit home run by drawing 13 arches. Moreover, he produced 126 hits and 60 RBIs.
Lee Ju-hyung, who was recognized for his performance, was named in the 2024 World Baseball Softball Federation Premier 12 national team list after the season, and he also won the national team's first senior national team flag.
Park Soo-jong, who stood out in batting by batting .422 in 23 games last season, and Bae Sang-kwon, who is increasing the number of games played every year, are also aiming for a spot in the outfield.
This year, Park Soo-jong recorded a batting average of 0.256 OPS 0.643 in 80 games, and Bae Sang-kwon recorded a batting average of 0.251 OPS 0.63 in 77 games. 메이저놀이터
Veteran Lee Yong-kyu and Lim Byung-wook are still competitive to take charge of the outfield.
In the 2024 season, Lee Yong-kyu played only 60 games and Lim Byung-wook played 42 games in the aftermath of the injury, but he is aiming to rebound next season.
Jang Jae-young, who drew attention by changing from a pitcher to a batter during this year's regular season, will enter full-fledged competition from next year.
He hit only 0.168 in the 2024 season, but he improved his adaptability to defense by playing all positions in the outfield.