“I want to learn from Kim Sang-soo.”

In the KT Wiz batting lineup, which has seen its share of ups and downs this season, there is one player who has consistently earned the praise of his manager. It’s veteran transfer Kim Sang-soo, 33. “He’s a player who can bat in any order and hit in any situation,” said KT manager Lee Kang-cheol.

Despite being a newcomer, Kim has become an integral part of KT’s lineup in less than two months. Out of KT’s 44 games, Kim has played in 43 of them, the most of any KT outfielder. In the midst of an injury-riddled outfield, Kim has consistently played without any major injuries or absences, and as a core outfielder, he has anchored the team’s center field and infield defense.

Sang-soo Kim has also been a top performer on offense. Currently, Kim is batting .290 (42-for-145) with 17 RBI, a .366 on-base percentage and a .345 slugging percentage for a combined OPS of 0.711, which ranks second on the team in batting average and second in on-base percentage. His 0.842 strikeout-to-walk ratio is also first on the team (16th in the league). It’s a great start to 2020.

However, Kim’s true talent is not just in his stats. He’s also been praised for his team batting. He’s been batting second and ninth in the order this season, playing more of a facilitator and a bridge than a solution. His batting strategy varies depending on the runners on base and the ball count, and his teammates praise his ability to hit for the team.

Lee Kang-chul said, “Kim Sang-soo is a player who knows when to hit and when to wait. For example, when the leadoff hitter is out, he knows how to wait even in favorable counts. He doesn’t get greedy (to solve the problem), he just gets on base and creates opportunities for the batters behind him. He counts the pitcher’s pitches, and he knows the flow of the game.”

Lee added, “Kim Sang-soo is a player who knows what role he should play in the team and what kind of player he is. I think that’s his experience,” he continued, adding, “I hope (the players) can learn from him.” He also gave a thumbs-up. In addition to his defense, Kim Sang-soo has been performing beyond expectations on offense and has become the team’s “belly button.토토사이트

In his last 10 games, Kim is batting .385 (15-for-39) with six RBIs. Most notably, he went 1-for-3 against Samsung on April 27 in his hometown of Daegu, South Korea, to lead the team to its fourth straight win. As his batting cycle has improved, his future performance is expected to be even better. With Bok-poong Kim Sang-soo as the fulcrum of their four-game winning streak, it will be interesting to see if KT can continue their rebound in the rest of May and make the leap to the mid-table.