In general, if the pinch hitter batting average is 0.250, it is said to be compliant. It’s quite difficult to come out of nowhere and hit a hit while staying still on the bench. There are even leaders who believe that batters who played as main players but were sluggish are more likely to hit than using pinch-hitter.
Nevertheless, if you have to use a pinch hitter, it is often a desperate match in the middle and second half of the game, which must change the atmosphere. Of course, a pitcher is a must-win pitcher. It’s not easy to come out of nowhere and hit against the strongest pitcher in the bullpen.
On the contrary, when the score is wide, a pinch hitter is sometimes used to arrange the physical strength of the main players. In this case, an industry official who was a former player said that there are many cases where they cannot produce good results due to their lack of concentration compared to close matches. It’s really hard to make a living as a substitute.
KIA is happy in that regard. The complete lineup has recently turned into a nuclear batting line. There are no holes in the triple setter, centerline, and sub-line. Nevertheless, I’ve had quite a lot of fun as a pinch hitter recently. KIA’s pinch hitter batting average this season is 0.256, ranking second in the league. Lotte came in first with 0.284. 스포츠토토탑
The KIA outfield is full of key backup, just like the league’s best. Competition is tight as even Choi Won-joon joined the outfield. At this point, Ko Jong-wook and Lee Chang-jin are backup. Teams in good condition or weak outfield depps can play full-time starting players.
However, the two also have a high batting average as a pinch hitter. Ko Jong-wook is 0.278 and Lee Chang-jin is 0.500. Ko Jong-wook has a high proportion of 10 hits in 36 at-bats. In the top of the seventh inning with two outs and runners on first and second bases leading 6-3 against Incheon SSG on the 2nd, Lee Geon-wook’s first-pitch cutter came into the middle and connected to an RBI right-handed hit.
Ko Jong-wook even hit the winning hit as a pinch hitter against Incheon SSG on the 3rd. Seo Jin-yong’s main weapon forkball was pushed to the finish in the top of the eighth inning with one out and runners on first and second bases in a 6-6 tie to score an RBI left-handed timely hit. Unlike the previous day, it was not a mistake. Ko Jong-wook’s preparation, aggression, and calm response stood out.
For reference, Ko Jong-wook has experience of making three walk-off hits in his career. However, all three shots were pinch-hit and walk-off hits. His annual salary is 70 million won, which is the best cost-effectiveness. He is a batter who was recruited through a test after being released from SSG, so he is a lucky ball that rolled in.
Ko Jong-wook is somewhat less defensive, but boasts a career batting average of 0.304. Usually, batters in this case have better defense even if they have weak batting skills, so they have less vitality than batters who hold out in the first division. This is because if the defense is not good, the range of use will be greatly narrowed. However, Ko Jong-wook shows his contact ability that is more than offsetting his defensive weakness. As a substitute, it is such a nutritious value, so it is a licorice that is indispensable for KIA.