He may not be super special, but he’ll give you more than enough for any team. He is also a ‘valuable’ catcher for SSG. It’s more of a ‘thumb’s up’. Kim Min-sik (34) is performing well.
Kim went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI as the No. 9 hitter in the second game of a three-game weekend series against the 2023 KBO League regular-season Kiwoom at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Wednesday.
There’s nothing special about the numbers. Instead, look at the “purity”. He had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th inning of extra innings. With runners on first and second and a full count, he took a six-pitch curveball and smashed it over the wall in right field. It gave SSG a 2-1 victory.
He appeared in 44 games this season. The team has played 50 games, but he’s played in most of them. However, he still hasn’t played in a regulation game. He needs 155 at-bats, but he has 115. He’s splitting time with the other catchers.
Kim Min-sik is still the starter. Lee Jae-won is not in the first team, and the backup, Cho Hyung-woo, is a young player born in 2002. Kim Min-sik’s role is important.
He’s batting .234 with two home runs and 13 먹튀검증 RBIs. He doesn’t have the best power numbers. Instead, he has a .357 on-base percentage. Add in a .351 on-base percentage, and you have a .708 OPS.
He’s even better with chances. He’s 10-for-27 in scoring position with a .370 batting average. He has 10 doubles, a .514 slugging percentage, a .481 on-base percentage, and a .995 OPS.
This one’s special. It’s better than Guillermo Heredia (0.355 batting average, 0.903 OPS) and Joo-hwan Choi (0.317 batting average, 0.898 OPS). At the top of the order, he’s batting .250 with an OPS of .857.
His wRC+ (adjusted run production) is also over 100 for the first time since his debut. It’s 105.2. Last year, it was 73.4. That’s a big improvement.
Plus, he’s playing great defense. He’s a catcher that pitchers can trust to throw to. SSG has a big stake in leading the team in ERA (3.32).
Despite his good form, Kim Min-sik has a different perspective. “I feel like my life has been extended by one more day. I’m struggling every day,” he laughed.
“Our pitchers are doing a great job. The hitters are not hitting a little bit, but they will come back. I have to work hard too. I know myself. I have to know. I’m in good shape right now. I will work hard again,” he added.
Before the season, the general consensus was that SSG was a weak catcher. It was pointed out that a trade was necessary, but there was no external transfusion. Naturally, Kim Min-sik had to do it. He’s doing a good enough job. His determination is evident.