Kim Kyung-moon '3 → 1', Kim Tae-hyung '1 → 4', and the target ranking finger 'Why is it different from last year' [Media Day On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Please indicate our team's expected ranking or target ranking this season with your fingers."

At the "2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League Media Day & Fanfest" held at Lotte World Hotel in Songpa-gu, Seoul on Wednesday, two coaches and representative players from 10 teams stood on the stage, and a question was asked by the host, a regular menu every year.

Eight out of 10 coaches aimed for one finger, or "winning." However, Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung (59) made four and Kiwoom Heroes manager Seol Jong-jin (53) made five.

Let's go back a year. When the same question was asked at the 2025 Media Day, nine coaches pointed out one finger each, while only Hanwha Eagles coach Kim Kyung-moon (68) showed three.

Among the head coaches who attended the media day for the second consecutive year, only Kim Kyung-moon and Kim Tae-hyung changed the number of fingers.

Coach Kim Kyung-moon finished second in the Korean Series, surpassing the three he targeted last year (3rd). All that's left is winning. This year, it was natural to pick one finger.

Then why did head coach Kim Tae-hyung choose four. The reason could be heard through Lotte captain Jeon Jun-woo (40), who spread four fingers together on the stage. In an additional interview after the event, Jeon Jun-woo said, "Coach (Kim Tae-hyung) asked me to do so, and I feel the same way. We haven't played autumn baseball in eight years, and of course, it's good to win, but I want to go to autumn baseball first and then go up step by step to win," he said.

At the official event, the goals and resolutions of the two coaches were also confirmed.

Coach Kim Kyung-moon said, "I worked hard with the fans last year, but I was very hurt because I won second place," adding, "This year, we will be a team that can laugh until the end and win the championship."

Director Kim Tae-hyung asked a fan, "Can I buy an autumn jumper?" and said, "Buy it. It's still chilly, so wear it from now on, and you'll wear it until fall." Regarding this year's resolution, he said, "Last year was actually a very disappointing year. The players felt a lot through such experiences and gained confidence. "I will definitely play fall baseball this season, taking advantage of the spirit of young players and the experiences of senior players," he vowed.

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*This content was translated by AI.