Samsung's foreign player lineup for the 2024 season has changed drastically. Coach Park Jin-man (48) took a 'hit' on foreign hitter David MacKinnon (30). The infield situation is at stake here.
Manager Park Jin-man said, “MacKinnon can see first and third base. He'll have to see if he can establish himself as a third baseman. Isn’t there Jae-il Oh at first base? “He was underperforming, but Oh Jae-il is Oh Jae-il,” he explained.
He continued, “We also have Ryu Ji-hyuk at third base, but we do not have Lee Jae-hyun at the beginning of the season. He added, “It would be good if Jae-il Oh at first base and McKinnon at third base go, and Ji-hyuk Ryu adds strength to the central infield.”
Samsung chose to part ways with Jose Pirella, who played from 2021 to 2023. It was disappointing that the grades in 2022 fell. So the decision was made to recruit MacKinnon. Played for Seibu, Japan in 2023. He fully met the recruitment limit of $1 million (100,000 down payment, 900,000 annual salary).
It's not a gun type. Samsung explained, “He is a mid-to-long range right-handed hitter with a good starting pitch and excellent contact ability.”
This is the recent trend of foreign hitters in the KBO League. He's bringing more of a mid-range style than a slugger. There are also calculations that his slugging ability can improve in the KBO league. Pirella was like that right now. This is something that can be expected more because Daegu Samsung Lions Park is relatively hitter-friendly.
The key is defense. The club said, “The advantage is that the first and third base defenses are stable. “We will adapt quickly based on our sincere training attitude and Japanese baseball experience,” he said.
Samsung's infield almost has its own owner. Oh Jae-il is the first baseman. It is organized into 2nd base Kim Ji-chan, shortstop Lee Jae-hyun, and 3rd base Ryu Ji-hyuk. Here comes MacKinnon.
Jae-il Oh performed poorly in the 2023 season. He played in 106 games, batting average of .203, 11 home runs, 54 RBI, and an OPS of 0.658. He ended up putting up his worst numbers since becoming a full-time starter.
Both Samsung and Oh Jae-il were embarrassed. There was also talk of an ‘aging curve’. This is why there was a prediction that MacKinnon would move to first base. Director Park Jin-man had a different idea. I am looking at ‘first baseman Oh Jae-il’ as the basis.
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