KIA Tigers player Kim Do-young (22) spoke in an interview with Major League Baseball's official media, MLB.com.
On the 20th (Korea time), MLB.com revealed the contents of the interview with Kim Do-young, stating, "The youngest 30-30 player in Korea is aiming for perfection."
Kim Do-young, who joined KIA as the first overall pick in the 2022 rookie draft, had disappointing seasons in his first two seasons compared to high expectations. In his debut season, he experienced trial and error against professional pitchers and was plagued by injuries the following year.
However, he finally blossomed last year. Kim Do-young had his best season, recording a batting average of .347 (189 hits in 544 at-bats), 38 home runs, 109 RBIs, 143 runs scored, 40 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.067 over 141 games. Although he failed to achieve the second-ever 40 home runs-40 stolen bases milestone in KBO League history, he recorded the youngest and fewest games for 30 home runs-30 stolen bases, set a new record for most runs scored in a single season, became the first to hit 10 home runs-10 stolen bases in a month, and achieved a natural cycle with the least number of at-bats, thrilling fans and winning the league MVP. KIA also claimed its 12th Korean Series title.
Kim Do-young reflected on last season, saying, "The results weren't that important to me. However, one of my goals was to have a batting average, so achieving .300 is meaningful. Additionally, I had never played a full-time season before last season, so I just wanted to be in the starting lineup."
"Many people from the team told me, 'We knew you would do well, but we didn't expect you to do this well so quickly,'" Kim Do-young noted. "Personally, I am really satisfied. It felt great to endure each day and reap the fruits at the end of the year." He continued, "I think my parents are still surprised. They have seen me play baseball my whole life, so they are still amazed that I've reached this level," he laughed.
Kim Do-young, who missed the achievement of becoming the second player in KBO League history to hit 40 home runs-40 stolen bases by two home runs last year, said, "I am confident that I haven't shown everything yet. Consistently being in the starting lineup is one of my important goals. I believe I can achieve (40-40) since I am still young. However, that is not my most important goal. My bigger goal is another championship."
While Kim Do-young had an impressive hitting season last year, he exposed some weaknesses in defense with 30 errors. MLB.com reported, "Scouts indicate that Kim Do-young needs to focus on defense. He recorded the most errors in the KBO League last year with 30. Perfectionist Kim Do-young knows that he will not be regarded as truly perfect and threatening until he addresses his defensive weaknesses."
"I practiced during the offseason and created a routine that I can do before every game," Kim Do-young said. "It will definitely help my defense. I also had a finger injury last year, so I couldn't prepare properly for the season. This year, I am preparing in perfect health, so I am looking forward to it," he expressed confidence.
Having made his presence known on the international stage through Premier12, Kim Do-young remarked, "I am always a person who pursues perfection. This goes for baseball as well as in life. To achieve this, I am always working hard." He added, "I may not be as perfect as Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers), but I have certainly set clear goals for myself. I want to do well in all aspects, be a good person, and be a positive person."
The Korean national team failed to advance to the Super Round in Premier12. Kim Do-young hopes to make up for that disappointment in next year's World Baseball Classic (WBC). "The upcoming WBC is my big goal," Kim Do-young said. "Naturally, I hope to perform well on such a big stage in the future. Playing on the biggest stage (Major League Baseball) is also a significant goal of mine. Once again, I will work hard for that goal," he expressed, dreaming of performing on a higher stage.
[OSEN]