On the 27th, Arizona Diamondbacks scout Lee Seung-won and former NC Dinos scout Song Min-gu appeared on the YouTube channel "Kim Tae-kyun [TK52]" run by KBS N Sports commentator Kim Tae-kyun, predicting who will be the next Korean major leaguer to challenge the big league after Kim Hye-sung (LA Dodgers).메이저사이트

Among pitchers, Ahn Woo-jin (Kium Heroes), who is currently serving in the military but is recognized as the best pitcher in Korea, was the first to be mentioned. Won Tae-in (Samsung Lions) and Kwak Bin (Doosan Bears) followed suit.

Among the hitters, Kang Baek-ho's name was mentioned first. Kang Baek-ho, who has boasted overwhelming batting talent since his rookie years, was consistently evaluated as a talent to challenge the major leagues. Although the momentum was dampened by negative factors such as injuries and mental problems in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he recovered his batting sense with a batting average of 0.289 with 26 home runs and 96 RBIs in the 2024 season. In October, he was asked to check the status of the MLB secretariat along with Kim Hye-sung.

However, such possibility of Kang's advance to the U.S. was hamstrung by such a factor. It is Kang's defense position. Marking his eighth year since his debut this year, Kang has yet to settle into one position. He started in left field in the first year of his professional debut, and moved to right field the following year. Since then, he played first base in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and started to play mostly as a designated hitter starting in the 2022 season. He started wearing a catcher mask again last year.

Scout Lee Seung-won also said, "I've been interested in Arizona since I was a high school student. I even visited in person," but added, "Now, however, my position has become too ambiguous. There is no position that can secure a certain position among the catcher, first baseman, or designated hitter. Kang Baek-ho is good. However, I hope he can give me a clear position at KT."

Former scout Song Min-koo also expressed his skepticism about Kang Baek-ho's position, saying, "The catcher, the first baseman, and the designated hitter should all have good performance. In particular, the catcher should have the ability to communicate well with the lead, but in that respect, foreigners are inevitably at a disadvantage. The first baseman should be a hit, but it is a bit (questionable) whether that will be possible in U.S. standards."

Kang, who was listed as an outfielder in the spring camp last year, will participate as a catcher in this camp. With only one season left before he becomes eligible to become a free agent, he is no longer in a position where he can move around and wander during this season.

Kang Baek-ho also expressed his desire to fix his position on the YouTube channel "Lee Dae-ho [RE:DAEHO]," which he recently appeared on, saying, "I like the first base and the outfield, but if you fix one position, I will play hard in any position. I'm comfortable if I can do one position anywhere."

Kim Tae-kyun, who was so good at batting that he was called the "God of On base" during his active days, mentioned Kang Baek-ho's batting form. "Kang Baek-ho has power, accuracy, and flexible swing, but he has a lot of movement in his body because he has a large leg kick. It's enough now, but I think it would be better to reduce the big movement at bat if he wants to level up for the Major League challenge," Kim said.

Scout Lee Seung-won said, "Kang's hanging leg kick may not suit the MLB style. I can hit 160km/h because of my good bat speed. However, the question is whether I can adapt to the falling ball."