Three lethargic losses in a row, and a fall to the bottom of the league. The KIA Tigers are wandering in the fog at the beginning of this season. The aftermath of the long-term injury of outfielder Na Seong-beom and infielder Kim Do-young, who are the core players of the field, can be felt from the beginning. The figure of the lowest team batting average (0.186) in scoring range also made the head coach feel cold. Can KIA coach Kim Jong-guk find a solution to the team’s sluggish batting line through baseball?

KIA lost 1-6 against Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes on April 15th. 메이저사이트It is a 3-game losing streak after a 2-9 defeat against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 14th and a 1-5 complete loss against Hanwha Eagles in Gwangju on the 13th. KIA, which stayed with 3 wins and 7 losses in the season, fell to the bottom of the league in an instant.

The current KIA bat is empty itself. The team ranked 7th in the league in batting average (0.246), the lowest in team on-base percentage (0.319), and the lowest in team slugging percentage (0.309), while the team’s wRC+ (adjusted scoring production) was also the lowest in the league (82.4). The team’s scoring position batting average is also at a serious level. Along with the Hanwha Eagles (0.197), it is currently the only team in the league to score in the 10% range (0.186), which is the score of the lowest team in the league.

It is an atmosphere where it is difficult to score not only a large number of goals with such poor attack power, but also a first goal. KIA failed to score first in 4 of the last 5 games. And in those 4 games, they all tasted defeat.

From the point of view of the KIA bench, which should go into endurance mode from April, an emergency took place. If the scoring power of the team’s batting line does not rise, the aftermath will inevitably affect the power of the mound. Pitchers can throw the ball with a more comfortable mind only when it is possible to suppress the baseline by scoring first. KIA coach Kim Jong-guk expressed his intention to use strategy more actively than strong attack in the future.

Manager Kim Jong-guk said, “I am aware of the part where the team’s scoring position has fallen. I think I should use the operation a little more often now. I played about 10 games, but the team atmosphere is generally down. From the beginning of the game, we are going to pay more attention to active strategy development. If we can score first, it will have a good effect on the starting pitchers and change the game.”

Of course, pursuing strategy and playing baseball is not an easy task for KIA. KIA is the lowest in the league (-1.60) in RAA runs (running average versus average) this season. The same goes for the number of team steals (6 in total, 8th in the league). With Kim Do-young missing, only Park Chan-ho has the resources to properly play baseball.

Still, coach Kim Jong-guk wants to increase the proportion of running baseball through stealing. Manager Kim said, “Honestly, it is true that it is difficult for players who have entered the center line to play. Still, if other players get on base, there is definitely a need to try active baseball and strategic baseball.”

The appointment of Ryu Ji-hyeok and Park Chan-ho as table setters in the game on the 15th was also a move related to the promotion of running baseball. However, due to the situation where a large number of runs were allowed from the beginning of the game and Park Chan-ho’s 4 at-bats were sluggish, the conditions for running baseball were not met. KIA’s lineup was lethargic in the flow of blows with little possibility of creating a variable.

It is true that ‘baseball’, which creates a variable, has become more desperate because it is a sobering reality that it is difficult to expect batting productivity in the catcher’s at-bat. In the end, for KIA to play baseball, Park Chan-ho, who currently has the best stealing ability among other team members, needs a rebound. In addition, relatively mobile resources such as Park Chan-ho, Kim Ho-ryeong, and Ryu Ji-hyeok should lead to the base and active stealing attempts. Efficient operational intervention from the KIA bench is also essential in the first scoring opportunity.

It is noteworthy whether the baseball played by ‘Kim Jong-guk’ will be a solution to overcome the helplessness of the current KIA batting line.