The Samsung Lions of the Korea Professional Baseball (KPB) achieved first place in team home runs last year (185 home runs). In addition to the team's top home run hitter, Koo Ja-wook (33 home runs), there were also Kim Young-woong (28 home runs), Park Byung-ho (23 home runs), and Lee Sung-kyu (22 home runs), totaling four players who hit more than 20 home runs. The image of Samsung as a home run team is strong from its inaugural year, and it has revived its team color after a long time.
The hitting coach Lee Jin-young, who played a significant role in the team's first-place finish in home runs, has identified the keyword 'accurate and strong' ahead of this season. During the second camp in Okinawa, Japan, Coach Lee remarked, "I believe that last year's increase in home runs was not solely because we aimed to hit more home runs."
He added, "The key to our team's hitting this season is 'accurate and strong.' This was also the most emphasized aspect when I first joined last year. Hitting the ball accurately with the bat increases the probability of producing strong hits and turning them into home runs or hits. Given the team's composition, there are many players who can hit far rather than having a high batting average, so I am emphasizing this even more."
It seems the performance of players such as Kim Young-woong, Lee Sung-kyu, and Yoon Jung-bin, who achieved career highs last year, will be crucial. Coach Lee Jin-young nodded in agreement.
He expressed, "With Kim Young-woong and Lee Sung-kyu having performed well last year, other teams will surely conduct thorough analyses of our strengths. As a hitting coach, I am contemplating what strategic support I can provide to Kim Young-woong and Lee Sung-kyu. If they focus on hitting home runs as they prepare for this season, it might be challenging to replicate last year's performance. If their batting average improves compared to last year, home runs should follow suit."
This season, Coach Lee identified key players as Park Byung-ho, Lewin Diaz, and Lee Jae-hyun. He stated, "If these players perform well, our team will undoubtedly improve. Honestly, I do not worry about Koo Ja-wook and Kim Ji-chan. They are key hitters who fulfill their roles adequately. If Kim Ji-chan gets on base ahead of them and they support from behind, team hitting may improve beyond last year."
If Park Byung-ho, who joined Samsung via a one-on-one trade with Oh Jae-il in May, and Diaz, who made his debut in August, can perform full-time at Daegu Samsung Lions Park this season, expectations for their performance are high. Coach Lee Jin-young noted, "I also have high expectations. Ultimately, they need to deliver. The players' ability to fulfill their roles when Kim Ji-chan and Koo Ja-wook get on base is crucial, and that is what I am most looking forward to."
He continued, "It is important for foreign players to adapt well to new environments. Diaz seems to have become much more comfortable now. One of a coach's roles is to help players adapt well to the team. Diaz is originally introverted but has become much more cheerful than last year. He even dances along to music during practice," Coach Lee stated. He has also requested pop song selections for Diaz.
In response to concerns about Lee Jae-hyun's lack of accuracy, Coach Lee explained, "There are comments that his swing is large, but that is not the case. Lee Jae-hyun does not swing big or focus on hitting home runs" and added, "However, due to timing issues, he is unable to fully extend his front arm, making his swing appear larger than it is. Ultimately, it is most necessary to create a hitting point that allows him to extend his left arm properly, even if it means timing is slightly off. He has improved a lot. What he shows in practice is also visible in games. His direction is good, so he can make contact on outside pitches and add power."
While Samsung achieved first place in team home runs last year, it remained in ninth place for team batting average (.269) and clutch hitting average (.271). In this regard, Coach Lee observed, "There is not much difference compared to the year before, with the team batting average at .263. I believe it is important how the players are structured. Of course, it would be nice to have many players with a .300 batting average, but I think it is important to harness the strengths of the many players who have strengths within the team."
He also emphasized, "Batters need to score in scoring situations to allow pitchers to throw comfortably. It is the batters' goal to create comfortable situations for pitchers. With good pitchers like Ariel Hurado and Choi Won-tae joining, creating favorable situations for them will allow them to shine even more."
Coach Lee Jin-young expressed gratitude to Choi Young-jin and Kim Tae-hyun from the analytics department for their significant contributions. He noted that the data provided by the analytics department is a great help in coaching the players.
Finally, Coach Lee stated, "Unlike last year, there are high expectations for our team. Personally, I think it might be necessary to reflect on last year to prepare for this season. We should not become complacent with the thought that we will achieve good results this season. We need to prepare more thoroughly to achieve the results we desire this season."
[OSEN = Son Chan-ik, reporter]