Song Seung-moon (28) expressed confidence that he wants to prove himself after being motivated by predictions of finishing last.

On the 14th, Song Seung-moon started the game against the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Field as the No. 3 second baseman, recording 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 stolen base in 2 at-bats during the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' match. Despite Song's performance, Kiwoom lost 3-5.

Song Seung-moon, who recorded a batting average of .275 in 680 KBO League games (2,315 at-bats, 637 hits), 54 home runs, 364 RBIs, 307 runs, 26 stolen bases, and an OPS of .744, had the best season last year. He played in 142 games with a batting average of .340 (527 at-bats, 179 hits), 19 home runs, 104 RBIs, 88 runs, 21 stolen bases, and an OPS of .927, showcasing his potential.

Song Seung-moon, who must prove that last year's performance was not a fluke, did not have a good hitting pace at the beginning of the spring training season. However, on the 13th, he hit his first home run of the spring training against SSG, and in this game, he quickly raised his pace with multi-base reached and a stolen base. He has a spring training batting average of .286 (14 at-bats, 4 hits), 1 home run, 1 RBI, 3 runs, 2 stolen bases, and an OPS of .974.

In an interview on the 14th, Song Seung-moon noted, "The home run from the last game could have been a hit that wouldn’t have gone out in another stadium. Still, I’m glad it went out as a home run. There haven't been many balls headed for the outfield recently. It felt good to finally hit a well-hit ball out there after a long time. Since I hit a home run, I didn’t feel cold at all; it actually felt warm." He welcomed the long-awaited home run, adding, "The home run in Taiwan felt like a flick of the wrist. Yesterday's felt like a proper home run. Until now in spring training in Korea, I felt like my balance was off, but yesterday the good balance came back, so I feel positive about it."

As the team captain this year, Song Seung-moon said, "I definitely feel a bit more responsibility since taking on the captaincy. However, even if I feel that burden and responsibility during the game, I must play hard and give my best. Baseball is a team sport, and all nine players must perform well to win. One person performing well doesn’t guarantee victory. Therefore, I believe that all teammates must do their best."

Kiwoom is predicted to finish last in most expert analyses this season. They have remained at the bottom for two consecutive years, and during the last offseason, key players Kim Hye-sung (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Jo Sang-woo (KIA) left the team. Currently, they have a record of 3 wins and 3 losses in the spring training.

Song Seung-moon said, "People say we have become much weaker, but our two foreign hitters (Yasiel Puig, Ruben Cardenas) are really good players, and foreign pitcher (Kenny) Rosenberg seems to throw well too. New pitchers are also doing well, and if injured players return, we might actually become a stronger team than last year. Last year, we only had one win in spring training, but we already have three wins this year," he chuckled.

"This year, I have a good feeling from the camp," said Song Seung-moon. "It’s clear that everyone has prepared well. Hyun-woo looks really good. His control and breaking balls don't look like those of a rookie. Of course, now in spring training, hitters will analyze our strengths, and an adjustment period will be necessary, but I think he will perform well anyway," he expressed his expectation for a good season.

Kiwoom will face Samsung and KIA in a five-game opening road series, having been last season's runner-up and champion, respectively. Though meeting strong teams right from the start of the season, Song Seung-moon said, "Of course, the teams we meet in the opening are all strong teams. Last year we had four consecutive losses in the opening, but this year, we must win the opening game so that our fans don’t feel stressed. They have suffered enough over the past two years. It’s true that there are relatively strong and weak teams. However, it doesn’t mean that last year’s champion will necessarily win again and that all teams that reach the postseason will make it to the playoffs. We really have to see how it goes. Thus, there is nothing wrong with playing against strong teams."

Emphasizing that "it will rather be a good opportunity for us to prove ourselves," Song Seung-moon said, "I will show our team’s leap, just like the slogan (Leap: Hero’s Prologue) suggests. I want to go for 4 wins and 1 loss. In fact, as a player, I want to win every game. Ideally, I would like to achieve 5 wins in the opening road series and 144 wins to secure the championship."

Regarding the predictions of finishing last, Song Seung-moon acknowledged, "Even from an outsider's perspective, I would expect us to finish last." He added, "We’ve been at the bottom for two consecutive years, and in the meantime, the loss of Jo Sang-woo and Kim Hye-sung added to it. If I were an expert, I would evaluate us that way as well." However, he noted, "The players felt frustrated with such evaluations, and we have worked hard from the offseason to show a better performance. We actually feel confident," he pledged to make a turnaround.

[OSEN]