*This content was translated by AI.
Kim Young-woong (23), the "next generation big guns" of the Samsung Lions, expressed his determination to participate in the new season with a cool and confident attitude. The upcoming 2026 season focused on the team's victory and its own growth rather than personal goals. In particular, he said he wanted to learn a lot from Choi Hyung-woo (43), a new "veteran" left-handed hitter.
"The goal is to win," Kim Young-woong told reporters at Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 23rd ahead of his departure from Guam, a spring camp site. In fact, I honestly don't have a goal for personal details statistics. If I set specific personal goals, I will not set them because I feel pressured," he said.
Kim Young-woong is a player who has established himself as the main third baseman under coach Park Jin-man (50). He played more than 120 regular league games for two consecutive seasons from the 2024 season to the 2025 season and hit more than 20 home runs. In particular, he showed off his prowess as a "big shot third baseman" by hitting consecutive three-run home runs against the Hanwha Eagles in Game 4 of the playoffs on October 22, 2025.
Kim Young-woong also responded coolly to the strikeout issue, which is followed by a big gun as if it were fate. In the 2025 season, Kim Young-woong was the second-most struck out in the entire league with 143 strikeouts. Oh Seon-woo (158) of the KIA Tigers ranked first overall in the league. In the 2024 season, Kim Young-woong also ranked third with 155 strikeouts in the league. In the 2024 season, Kim Jae-hwan (then a member of the Doosan Bears, now SSG Landers) had the most with 168, and Kang Seung-ho of the Doosan Bears had 158.
In response, Kim Young-woong said, "To be honest, I think there are still some of my strengths and weaknesses. I try not to care. If I worry, I think I'll sell the land for no reason, so I try not to think about it." Regarding the evaluation that he opened his eyes to baseball due to baseball's outstanding performance in the fall of 2025, he also said, "I don't know, but it is true that there is some expectation for the 2026 season because it was good at the end of the 2025 season."
In fact, the difference for Kim Young-woong compared to last season was the addition of an outstanding hitter named Choi Hyung-woo to the lineup. Both Kim Young-woong and Choi Hyung-woo are left-handed hitters, and it is evaluated that there will definitely be a synergy effect. Kim Young-woong said, "I'll learn well. I haven't decided what to learn in detail, but I'm going to ask questions if there's anything blocked while hitting," he said of batting order, adding, "I actually didn't think my position in the starting lineup was confirmed. If I can't play either, the batting order may go down further or I may not be able to play at all. There is no place yet," he said firmly.
Finally, Kim Young-woong said, "I think it's still not enough," even in his thoughts on international competitions such as the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and the Asian Games in March. I'm not very greedy, but I believe that the results will follow as much as I get results," he said, putting himself on the plane.
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*This content was translated by AI.
