Yum Kyung-yeop's guard is "KT stable, KIA's power is good."
from web site
LG, which had sought the presidency from the standpoint of challengers until last season, is now in a position to win the title of this year's champion. "Our first goal is to rank No. 1 in a regular season and record the most wins by a team in a single season. If we achieve both goals, our next goal is to win a combined championship for two consecutive years," manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said.
He also emphasized the development of key players. "Nurturing is important, but if Oh Ji-hwan, Park Hae-min, Kim Hyun-soo and Park Dong-won develop further this year, development will come naturally," Yeom said.
LG, which aims to usher in an era of dynastic power in the 2024 season, must resist strong challenges from rival teams. Asked to select LG's rival, Yeom said KT is the most stable given its overall capability, while Kia also has a very good capability. The two teams are the most stable in terms of players' composition this season.
After winning Game 1 against LG in the Korean Series last year, KT had to settle for the runner-up by losing Game 2 to Game 5. KT, which is attempting to regain the top spot for the first time in three years, renewed its contracts with proven foreign pitchers William Cuevas and Wes Benjamin, and re-introduced Mel Rojas Jr., the MVP of the KBO League in 2020.
KT's pitching and batting are also solid. Notably, the starting lineup, led by Cuevas, Benjamin, Ko Young-pyo, Cho Young-joon and Um Sang-baek, is considered strength. Rojas Jr., Park Byung-ho, Kang Baek-ho and Hwang Jae-gyun will lead the team's offense. Although Kim Jae-yoon moved to the Samsung Lions, the team plans to minimize the gap by utilizing Park Young-hyun and Son Dong-hyun, who have established themselves as top bullpen pitchers in the league.
KIA, which Yeom has drawn attention, is a team with outstanding offense. The center lineup, consisting of Na Sung-bum, Socrates Brito, and Choi Hyung-woo, can hit long balls at any time, and Kim Do-young, Lee Woo-sung, and Park Chan-ho showed off their accurate hitting skills last season, growing into .300 hitters. On top of that, Kim Sun-bin and Ko Jong-wook are also strong in batting ability.
Native starters Yang Hyun-jong, Lee Ui-ri and Yoon Young-cheol are also solid. If only foreign pitchers do their part, Kia will be able to move higher. One foreign pitcher was filled with Will Crow. Kia has high expectations on Crow, who used to be a full-time starting pitcher in the big league.
Coach Yeom paid attention to last season's MVP Eric Peddy's absence in the case of the NC Dinos, who advanced to the fall baseball in the fourth place in the regular season last year and reached the playoffs. Peddy took the mound in 30 games last season with 20 wins, 6 losses and a 2.00 ERA, achieving a triple crown that ranks first in all of the multiple wins, ERA and strikeouts (209).
Pedi, who dominated the KBO league, signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Chicago White Sox in the U.S. Major League last month.
"I think 50 percent of the team's power was lost because Pedi left," Yeom said about NC. "Pedi played a role in breaking the team's losing streak and continuing its winning streak, and that's amazing."
