*This content was translated by AI.
This is truly remarkable performance. He delivered 3-hit games in three consecutive contests, raising his batting average once again. The average, which was in the high .290s, has now surged to the .320s. This is the story of Doosan Bears' lucky charm Kim Min-seok (22).
Doosan secured an 8-3 victory over Lotte Giants in a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season home game held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 2nd.
With this win, Doosan concluded the three-game series against Lotte with two wins and one loss, marking a winning streak. Additionally, they recorded 40 wins, 2 draws, and 39 losses, maintaining sole possession of fifth place.
Doosan will now face Kiwoom Heroes in a weekend three-game series from the 3rd to the 5th. This season, Doosan holds a 5-3 advantage over Kiwoom in head-to-head matchups.
Doosan secured victory after racking up 13 hits, both long and short, the previous day. In particular, Kim Min-seok started as the second leadoff hitter of the season and single-handedly delivered three hits, contributing to the team's win.
In his first at-bat of the first inning, Kim Min-seok struck out on a sixth-pitch swing-and-miss. In the third inning, with one out and a runner on first base, he hit an extra-base hit to left-center field, finding his timing. The runner on first, Yoon Jun-ho, reached third base on the hit, but no follow-up hits materialized, resulting in no run scored.
Kim Min-seok faced his third at-bat of the game with one out and no runners on base in the fifth inning, following Kang Seung-ho's two-run home run in the previous at-bat. He then hit a line drive single to center field, completing his multi-hit game. He also scored on Yang Eui-ji's RBI double.
That was not the end of it. In the sixth inning, with one out and bases loaded, he faced pitcher Hong Min-gi and launched a two-run double to left-center field. In the eighth inning, he drew a walk, completing a 3-hit, 4-on-base game.
After today's game, Kim Min-seok's season statistics stand at a .322 batting average (75 hits in 233 at-bats), 4 home runs, 14 doubles, 2 triples, 30 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 2 stolen bases (0 caught stealing), 28 walks, 44 strikeouts, a .451 slugging percentage, a .395 on-base percentage, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.846. His batting average with runners in scoring position is .391. As a pinch hitter, his average is .375.
Notably, he hit three consecutive 3-hit games from the Lotte game on the 30th of last month through the Lotte game on the 2nd. His batting average over the last 10 games is an astounding .543. He has recorded hits in 13 consecutive games since the KIA Tigers game on the 14th of last month. At the conclusion of that 14th game, Kim Min-seok's batting average was only .269. In just about half a month, he has raised his average to .322.
Most importantly, he is demonstrating strength in favorable count situations. His batting average on the first pitch is .346 (9 hits in 26 at-bats). With a 1-0 count, it reaches .583 (7 hits in 12 at-bats), and with a 2-0 count, he shows overwhelming power with an incredible .833 average (5 hits in 6 at-bats). He drew five walks on 3-0 counts.
Furthermore, he performs well against left-handed pitchers (opponent batting average .298), right-handed pitchers (opponent batting average .326), and even underhand pitchers (opponent batting average .364). His batting average ranks eighth overall in the league, his on-base percentage is 12th, and his batting average with runners in scoring position is fifth. Given Kim Min-seok's recent performance, fans of Doosan are even saying he has 'no need to envy Kim Do-young.'
Kim Min-seok switched uniforms from Lotte to Doosan via a trade in November 2024. At that time, Doosan executed a 2-for-3 trade with Lotte, sending pitchers Jung Cheol-won and infielder Jeon Min-jae to Lotte in exchange for Kim Min-seok, pitcher Choi Woo-in, and Cho Jae-hyun from Lotte. The move was then evaluated as a 'super-large trade' alongside the transfer of key prospects. Now, he is fully unleashing his potential this season.
Recently, in an interview with StarNews, Kim Min-seok commented on his outstanding performance: "I am grateful that many people around me have praised me. However, Coach Lee Jin-young often gives me harsh words to keep me grounded. Thanks to him teaching me specifically how to approach and attack opposing pitchers before stepping into the batter's box," he added, "I am achieving good results because I trust in this guidance."
He also revealed his own distinct philosophy regarding physical management and training. He stated, "Although I am sometimes advised to rest when physically exhausted, I believe that is precisely when I need to build more stamina," revealing his exceptional grit.
In reality, he reports to the baseball stadium around 11:30 a.m. on game days and participates daily in 'early batting' (early hitting practice), sweating profusely. This training is typically attended by players who did not play the previous day or had few at-bat opportunities, yet Kim Min-seok does not hesitate to participate even in this session. He remarked, "Even in difficult situations, I try to get to the stadium quickly and not skip batting practice; it seems the coaching staff appreciates this earnestness," reaffirming his firm resolve once again.
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*This content was translated by AI.
