“I will also use him as an outfielder”.
KIA Tigers Choi Won-joon faced a big challenge as a first baseman. On the 8th and 9th, in the Gwangju game against the LG Twins, he produced a scene where he missed or could not catch the ball for two days in a row. I had a hard time dealing with the frontal and fast hits of LG hitters. Perhaps because of the lack of first baseman experience, his responsiveness was poor.
Prior to his enlistment, he was a regular right fielder. Because of his good shoulders, he also cared for bullets. Between military service, free agent Na Seong-beom and Socrates Brito also joined and played right fielder and center fielder, respectively. I thought there would be a spot, but Lee Woo-sung made a leap forward and took the left fielder. He was forced to step out as first baseman with the discharge.
In 2016, he was an infielder when he joined the team as the 2nd 1st. Then he played an active role as a multiplayer even in the outfield. As an infielder, he struggled with catching and throwing, so from the 2020 season, he walked his life as an outfielder. When Choi Won-joon returned, coach Kim Jong-guk entrusted him with first baseman’s mitt to maximize his offensive power. He played for more than two months and improved his level of adaptation, but it was difficult to become a complete first baseman.
Furthermore, Wonjun Choi was selected as a wild card in the Hangzhou Asian Games representative list. He is an outfielder, not an infielder. He is one of three outfielders along with Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom) and Choi Ji-hoon (SSG). However, at KIA, I continued to play only as a first baseman. He doesn’t have a big problem if he also trains in the outfield, and he just needs to train with the national team. However, if he has little experience in the outfield, he can make unexpected mistakes. 꽁머니
Given the current KIA position structure, if Choi Won-joon plays as an outfielder, Lee Woo-seong should sit on the bench. Lee Woo-sung is taking a career high this year. He has a season batting average of 2.9, 8, 5 homers, 31 RBI, 29 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.774. His batting average in his last 10 games is also 3.01. At this point, Choi Won-Jun’s outfield appointment and Lee Woo-Sung’s bench selection are difficult cards to choose.
As Choi Won-joon played as first baseman, Hwang Dae-in and Byun Woo-hyeok’s range of use also decreased. Hwang Dae-in recovered from his injury but continued to play for the Futures team. Byun Woo-hyuk was also caught up in the Corona 19 issue. At this point, Choi Won-joon’s defense was shaken and even the batting showed signs of a slump, so coach Kim Jong-guk chose a change. On the 10th, Hwang Dae-in, who is playing for the Futures team, was called up urgently.
At the same time, Choi Won-jun’s method of using defense also suggested a change. “Hwang Dae-in enrolled for first base defense and batting reinforcement,” he said. “Won-joon has been an outfielder for the past 2-3 years, and as a first baseman, his foodwork and handling for batting balls were a little lacking and awkward. I will continue to improve. In the future, I will do the outfield at the same time,” he said. Now, he goes out to his garden, the outfield. First baseman still doesn’t fit Choi Won-joon.