'KIA Lee Beom-ho bombshell statement' KBO ecosystem in chaos becomes reality → "Next year's starting shortstop is..." Finally, the name is confirmed

*This content was translated by AI.

This is truly a shocking bombshell statement. KIA Tigers has already selected Kim Do-young (23) as its starting shortstop (SS) for next season. A position change for a superstar representing the KBO League is expected to cause major chaos in the KBO League ecosystem.

Kim Do-young has been playing at third base, a position he represents in the KBO League, for five consecutive seasons from the 2022 season through this season. In particular, during the 2024 season, he secured both the KBO MVP and the Golden Glove awards as a third baseman.

However, Kim Do-young is expected to be seen playing as a third baseman only until this year. Starting next year, he will officially transition to the shortstop position.

KIA manager Lee Beom-ho, speaking to reporters ahead of the away game against Kiwoom Heroes to be held at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 27th, said, "We are gradually having Kim Do-young train as a shortstop. He also feels good about the shortstop training. For now, we want to check his physical condition first. The movement differences between third base and shortstop are very significant. We believe it would be better to start training now and prepare for spring camp. We think it would be better for him to wait as long as possible while observing for now."

He continued, "If (Park) Min-ah, (Kim) Kyu-seong, and (Jung) Hyun-chang play well in rotation, we plan to delay Kim Do-young's move to shortstop as much as possible. However, if they falter, Kim Do-young might also be affected, but we believe we need to consider this for next year. There are many aspects to check, including physical condition and leg status, as well as training parts. We will think about this carefully."

KIA's starting shortstop, Park Chan-ho, became a free agent (FA) after the 2025 season and left for Doosan Bears. To immediately fill the vacancy, KIA signed Jared Dale, the only position player among the 10th teams under the Asia quota. However, KIA has recently parted ways with Dale. This is because KIA calculated that it could fill the shortstop vacancy with Park Min, Jung Hyun-chang, and Kim Kyu-seong at least for this season.

The shortstop position is considered the most important position in baseball defense, especially in the infield. If Kim Do-young, who possesses top-tier offensive power in the league, can secure the shortstop position, it would be the best scenario for KIA. In fact, Kim Do-young has recently been training to field balls at the shortstop position.

Manager Lee emphasized that while Kim Do-young's recent shortstop training does not carry much meaning, "we plan to have him play shortstop next year. However, for this year, if he switches between the two positions and his batting balance or physical balance collapses, it would be a great loss to both him and the team. We believe it is better to check thoroughly with the training department regarding these aspects and prepare carefully."

When asked again about the starting shortstop for next year, Manager Lee firmly stated, "We plan to have (Kim Do-young) play as the starting shortstop next year." He added, "If he does well after trying next year, we plan to keep him in that role from the beginning of the season. Of course, mistakes may occur due to various factors, and changes may happen. We will keep these in mind. Creating a shortstop may require enduring certain things. Time is needed. We naturally believe there will be difficult parts, so we think preparation must begin at camp to cover those aspects."

If 'shortstop Kim Do-young' becomes a reality, a major change is expected in the overall position competition structure of the league. Currently, the key shortstops representing the league include LG Oh Ji-hwan, Doosan Park Chan-ho, SSG Park Sung-han, NC Kim Ju-won, and Hanwha Sim Woo-jun. Kim Do-young will now join them.

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*This content was translated by AI.