"Kim Do-young, a proud Korea of South Korea, not KIA anymore." Tie solo shot → Super fast three-run shot! Now the world is paying attention to KIM

*This content was translated by AI.

Neither Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco), Kim Hye-sung (LA Dodgers), Germay Jones (Detroit), or Shay Witcom (Houston). Kim Do-young (23, Kia) is the batter who is most wary of competitors ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

Kim Do-young started as the No. 1 designated hitter in the official WBC warm-up match against the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on the 3rd and hit a three-run home run against Raiku Katayama at the bottom of the 2nd inning.

Kim Do-young, who won the MVP award by achieving 30 home runs and 30 steals in the KBO League in 2024, played only 30 games last year due to a hamstring injury.

There are also question marks about defense, raising doubts about how important it can be. Ryu Ji-hyun, the national team coach, also expressed his intention several times that he is paying attention to Kim Do-young.

Kim Do-young started as the first batter and third baseman in the first warm-up match against the Hanshin Tigers on the 2nd, which will be played as a whole ahead of the opening match against the Czech Republic on the 5th. Kim Do-young, who made an infield hit in his first at-bat but seemed to be out of timing, hit a tying solo shot over the left-center fence in the fifth inning.

"In the first two at-bats, there were many things that bothered me, so I swung the bat hastily," he said after the game. "But in the third at-bat, I focused only on what I had to focus on and swung properly, so I was able to lead to a home run." He also noted Kim Do-young's remarks in Japanese media.

"Kim Do-young is a young genius hitter who hit .347 with 38 home runs and 40 steals in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2024 to achieve the Triple Three (30, 30 home runs, 30 steals) and win the Most Valuable Player (MVP), and Kim Do-young is expected to be the most threatening to the Samurai Japan (Japan national team), which will face off on the 7th," Sponizia Nex said.

Likewise, Kim Do-young, who played leadoff on the same day, struck out Katayama in his first at-bat.

However, Kim Do-young, who finished preheating as before, entered the batter's box with two outs and runners on the first and third bases in the second inning with his team leading 2-0, and made an advantageous count by letting Katayama's three balls flow as they were, but when Katayama's breaking ball entered the zone without much change, he made a pleasant swing and the ball became a large three-run shot that easily crossed the left-center fence.

Including the KBO League club and practice game in Okinawa, Japan, they continued their home run streak for three consecutive games. Kim Do-young also hit a home run in a practice game against the Samsung Lions on the 25th of last month.

Captain Lee Jung-hoo, a hitter who raises expectations much more than Korean-born giants Jones and Witcom, is now becoming a notable figure in the world.

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*This content was translated by AI.