Ability is there.
How many 30-home run batters will the Samsung Lions produce in the 2025 season?
Samsung was first in team home runs for the 2024 season. There were as many as 6 batters who hit double-digit home runs. Four batters hit more than 20 home runs: Koo Ja-wook (33), Kim Young-woong (28), Lee Sung-kyu (22), and Park Byung-ho (20, excluding 3 from his time with KT). Kang Min-ho finished with 19 and did not join the 20-home run club. Koo Ja-wook was the only one who hit 30 home runs.
This year, there is a possibility that the number of 30-home run batters will increase. Koo Ja-wook, who first reached the 30-home run mark last year, will challenge for two consecutive years. With sufficient experience and batting ability, he has enough qualifications to challenge. Additionally, Kim Young-woong will also challenge for the 30 home runs he couldn't achieve last year. He hit 28 in 126 games. If he plays full-time, he could succeed.
Park Byung-ho was traded during last year's season. He only hit 3 home runs during his time with KT, but he hit 20 home runs in 76 games after the trade. If he consistently gets at-bats full-time, he could hit 30 home runs for the first time in three years since 2022. He has a total of 406 career home runs. While he may start slowly at the beginning of the season, he can provide a slugging display at any time.
There is also the foreign hitter Lewin Diaz. He joined as a substitute foreign player in the second half of the season and recorded 7 home runs. His back-to-back home runs in Game 5 of the Korean Series were impressive. He hit 2 home runs in the second game of the season opener against Kiwoom. Although he suddenly fell into a slump and stopped hitting home runs, he still has the ability to reach 30 home runs if he plays full-time.
If four batters with 30 home runs emerge from one team, it would be the first time in professional baseball history. The environment of Daegu, a paradise for sluggers, also increases the possibilities. Manager Park Jin-man also has extraordinary expectations. "First of all, there are Koo Ja-wook and Kim Young-woong, who are capable of 30 home runs. Park Byung-ho, who joined midway through last year, still hit 20 home runs. If he plays full-time and stays healthy this year, he will hit at least 30. Diaz can also reach 30 if he gets out of his slump," he noted with pride.
But they are not the only ones. Shortstop Lee Jae-hyun's slugging ability is also hot. He recorded 14 home runs last year, and at the beginning of this year, he already hit 2 home runs, reaching a slugging percentage of .739. Kang Min-ho hasn't hit his first home run yet, but it will happen soon. If Lee Sung-kyu returns after missing the opening game due to a side injury, Samsung's slugging power will indeed be a terrifying target.
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