The regular season opener is just around the corner, but LG Twins catcher Dong-won Park has been struggling to find his hitting form. Despite the performance not having much significance and being a game to adjust condition, his batting average is below .100.
Park started as the seventh catcher in the exhibition game against the NC Dinos on the 17th at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, going hitless in three at-bats. His batting average in the exhibition games fell to .095.
The second inning presented a chance. With no outs and the bases loaded, Hae-min Park was out with a short fly ball to left field, and Dong-won Park stepped up to the plate with one out and the bases loaded. However, Dong-won Park made an infield fly out to the third baseman. Ultimately, LG could not score a single run with no outs and the bases loaded.
In the fourth inning, with two outs and a runner on second, he attempted to hit the first pitch (a curveball) but was out on a ground ball to the third baseman. He came up as the lead-off batter in the sixth inning but was out on a swinging strikeout. He was replaced by backup catcher Ju-heon Lee in the top of the seventh and finished the game.
Park has recorded 2 hits in 21 at-bats over 24 plate appearances in the exhibition games, with a batting average of .095, 3 walks, and 9 strikeouts. Manager Kyung-yeob Yeom noted concerns about the hitting form of starters Park Dong-won and Shin Min-jae not improving during the exhibition games.
Shin Min-jae is batting .185 (5 hits in 27 at-bats). Among starters, Chang-ki Hong has been hitless in his last three games, dropping his average to .192 (5 hits in 26 at-bats).
Park is a key player among the positional players. His role is significant, not only in hitting but also as a catcher. After last season, LG excluded veteran backup catcher Do-hwan Heo from the re-signing list, and Heo has started his second life as a commentator after retiring.
Lee Ju-heon, who has only three games of first-team experience, has been designated as the backup catcher to support Park. Drafted in the third round of the second phase in the 2022 rookie draft, Lee returned after completing his military service last year. He was called up to the first team towards the end of the season, made his debut, and recorded 4 hits in 6 at-bats (.667 batting average) over three games. He caught for 14 innings.
Catcher Bum Seok Austin Kim, drafted with the seventh overall pick in the first round of 2023, performed well early last season but played mostly as a designated hitter and first baseman due to weight issues. He played 13 games and pitched 47.1 innings as a catcher. This season, he has started in the second team.
Manager Kyung-yeob Yeom emphasized that Park's role is crucial for the adaptation of new foreign pitcher Chiriños to the league and the stepping up of the bullpen pitchers. After Chiriños pitched in his first exhibition game, Manager Yeom said, "Chiriños will likely rely heavily on Dong-won for the utilization of his four-seam and two-seam fastballs."
Yeom added, "This season, Dong-won's role is extremely important. It’s because there are pitchers who need to grow around him, and how Dong-won handles his pitch selection will determine whether those pitchers succeed or not. This year, Dong-won must be highly attentive even if he's a bit tired, and he must perform well."
LG stated there are "no trade discussions" regarding the catcher. Park, who pitched for 944.2 innings last year, needs to perform well both offensively and defensively this season.
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