Who does Samsung Lions' 'captain' Koo Ja-wook consider the key player of this season?

On the 20th at the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Media Day & Fan Fest held at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul, I asked Koo Ja-wook who the key player for this season is. He said, "Kim Young-woong needs to perform well." Kim Young-woong, who guarded Samsung's hot corner last year, had a career-high season with 28 home runs.

Koo Ja-wook explained, "Young-woong did well last year, and he needs to show good performance again this year. That's why I picked Young-woong as the key player." Regarding 'super rookie' Bae Chan-seung, who throws fastballs over 150 km/h, he said, "He throws a very strong ball and has received good evaluations inside and outside the team, so if he can handle full-time during the season, he can be a positive factor enough."

Samsung has not produced a Rookie of the Year since Koo Ja-wook in 2015. Bae Chan-seung, who has been classified as an immediate contributing player upon joining, is also a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. In this regard, Koo Ja-wook noted, "Winning the Rookie of the Year is nice, but I hope he doesn’t become too fixated on it. He is a player who can achieve many good titles. I want him to give his best in every game and hope he becomes a player who achieves even higher goals than the Rookie of the Year."

Koo Ja-wook, who injured the ligament in his left knee during the second game of last year's playoffs against the LG Twins, has been working hard on his fitness and has currently recovered to normal condition. He stated, "I plan to handle outfield defense normally from opening day. I will show more aggressive plays."

He revealed his desire to contribute more to the team's victory than to individual performance as a captain. Koo Ja-wook emphasized, "Unlike last year, this season is filled with more excitement than worry. I have been preparing for the season with confidence, without feeling anxious."

He also said, "It would be best if I do well and the team does well, but winning the team is the most important thing. I always feel lacking as a captain. I want to think about how our team can win more games instead of focusing on personal goals and want to contribute to that."

Koo Ja-wook expressed hope that Media Day would be held earlier. He mentioned, "It’s disappointing to hold Media Day just two days before the season opener. The travel time alone takes 8 to 9 hours. I believe consideration for provincial clubs is necessary, as it affects condition management."

He added, "I have suggested changing the Media Day schedule multiple times to the KBO, but it has not been implemented," and he continued, "It would be best to hold Media Day before the opening of exhibition games."

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