Kiwoom Heroes rookie outfielder Won Sung-joon, 24, hit his first career home run to lead the team to a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
Won went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored in a game against the Samsung Lions in the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, starting in center field.
After drawing walks in his previous two at-bats, Won opened the scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning with Kiwoom trailing 2-5, hitting a double off right-handed reliever Lim Chang-min. Lim Byung-wook followed with a double and Choi Joo-hwan scored on a sacrifice fly.
The most decisive moment of the game came in the seventh inning. After singles by Lee Yong-kyu and Song Sung-moon, 카지노사이트 Kim Tae-jin hit an RBI single to tie the game at one, and with runners on first and second, Won Sung-joon took a five-pitch fastball from right-handed reliever Kim Tae-hoon and launched a walk-off three-run home run over the right field wall. It was Won’s first career home run. Won’s home run gave Kiwoom a two-run lead that it would not relinquish, giving the team a 7-5 victory.
After graduating from Gyeonggi High School and Sungkyunkwan University,
Won turned to the professional ranks and batted .950 with six home runs, 50 RBIs, 58 runs scored, 19 stolen bases and an OPS of .950 in 71 games (68-for-214) over four years of college. He also appeared on the baseball entertainment program “Strongest Baseball” and became known to fans. However, he was not selected by a professional team in the 2024 rookie draft. When his dream of making his professional debut was about to be dashed, Kiwoom reached out to him and he passed the tryout and joined the organization as a developmental player. He joined the team from the final training camp in Wonju last winter and dedicated himself to preparing for this season.
After starting the season in the second team, Won showed his potential in 26 games, batting 3-for-7 (19-for-60) with three home runs, 12 RBIs, 12 runs scored, four doubles, and a .999 OPS. Noticing Won’s hitting ability, 파워볼실시간 Kiwoom called him up to the first team on June 6 against LG and immediately gave him a chance in the starting lineup as the No. 7 center fielder.
In an interview before the game, Kiwoom coach Hong Won-ki said, “Sung-joon Won has a good record in the second team. I remembered that he was a talented hitter from last winter’s Wonju finalization camp. He continued to perform well in the second team, so he was called up. I paid a lot of attention to my hitting. I changed my position to the outfield because I wanted to utilize my hitting talent and I was also burdened with the defense of the infield. Our team’s development direction is to prioritize a player’s strengths. Won’s batting talent is also highly valued,” he said, explaining why he called him up.
Won made his debut against LG on June 6 and lived up to manager Hong Won-ki’s expectations, going 2-for-4 with a double in his first at-bat and a single in his final at-bat.
After an impressive debut,
Won Sung-joon continued to impress the fans in the second game with his first career home run. His discovery has been a welcome one for Kiwoom, who have ranked dead last in both runs per game (4.67) and OPS (.730) this season.
In an interview before his debut on June 6, Won said, “I’m very happy and excited to be here. But I don’t want to get too excited, so I’m trying to calm down now. I was told yesterday evening that I would be called up to the first team. I didn’t expect to start so soon. Coach Seol Jong-jin, the second team coaches, and my parents all congratulated me,” said Won on his call-up to the first team.
Won showed off his batting potential in his debut, but he also made some mistakes on defense. He has only been playing the outfield for about two weeks, so his inexperience showed. “I think I made it to the first team faster than I thought,” Won said, “It’s only been a couple weeks since I switched to the outfield. I thought I would be called up when I got better at defending the outfield, but they called me up sooner than I thought. I was a little worried about my infield defense, and there were a lot of players who were competitive in defense, so I switched to the outfield. I’ve been practicing in the outfield for about two weeks now. I was nervous at first, but now I feel good,” he said.
Won couldn’t have asked for a better start to his first-team career, and he’s aiming to improve in the future. “I think it’s just the beginning,” he said. 온라인카지노사이트 “I think this is the most important time, so I’m always trying to stay focused and play my best. I want to be a player who always looks eager and works hard on the baseball field,” he said.