Kim Hui-jip (21) of Kiwoom Heroes showed off his hot power.
Kim Hui-jip started as the 8th shortstop in the match against the KIA Tigers in the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 16th and recorded 2 hits and 2 walks in 2 at-bats.
Kiwoom is in a situation where foreign hitter Edison Russell is unable to play due to back pain. The last 3 games in a row have been missed. Director Hong Won-ki said, “Russell is not a big injury. He decided to rest until today in order to return to the game in perfect condition.”
However, in this game, Russell’s vacancy was not felt. This is because third-year shortstop Kim Hui-jip wielded a hard hit and showed off his peak hitting feeling.
Kim Hui-jip took the lead in the 3rd inning and hit a double, creating a safe second base chance at once. However, Kim Tae-jin, Lee Yong-kyu, and Lee Hyeong-jong remained silent and failed to save a chance to score. In the 5th inning, he walked out with 2 outs, but this time, Kim Tae-jin stepped back with a grounder by the pitcher.
With both teams tied at 0-0 with two outs in the 7th inning, Kim Hui-jip hit another double and entered scoring range. However, this time, as Taejin Kim struck out, it did not lead to a goal. In the ninth, he walked but also failed to score. In the 10th inning of overtime, Lee Jung-hoo’s two-run home run hit the finish line, and Kiwoom sprinted to 4 wins in a row. 스포츠토토
Kim Hui-jip had been performing sluggishly with a batting average of 10% (2 hits in 20 at-bats), 1 home run, 2 RBIs, and an OPS of .608 in 9 games before the match. But compared to his batting average, his on-base percentage and slugging percentage weren’t bad. Although he only hit two, he picked up six walks, and the only hits he ever recorded were a double and a home run, respectively.
Kim Hwi-jip, who joined Kiwoom as a nomination for the 2nd round (9th place) of the 2021 rookie draft, is expected to be a next-generation shortstop who will lead Kiwoom’s infield in the future. He went 2.2 2.2 (74 hits in 333 at-bats), 8 homers, 36 RBIs, and an OPS of .662 in 112 games last season. He’s had a bad start this season, but once he explodes, he shows hot power. In the game that day, Kim Hui-jip also hit two of the three hits that Kiwoom hitters hit against KIA starting pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong.