The first half is over. A fierce ranking battle is unfolding. With the LG Twins and SSG Landers competing for the lead, the Doosan Bears sprinted to third place at the end of the first half with a 9-game winning streak. Next, NC Dinos, Lotte Giants, KIA Tigers, KT Wiz, Hanwha Eagles, Kiwoom Heroes, and Samsung Lions are ranked 4th to 10th in order. The game difference between NC and Kiwoom is 4.5 games. Competition for mid-level teams to advance to fall baseball is hot. Once in the mood, it is a situation where you can hit and climb like Doosan. Conversely, if you fall into a losing streak, your ranking will drop in an instant.
KT, who finished the first half in 7th place, is also aiming for a rebound. Park Byung-ho, who met with reporters at the fan signing event for the All-Star Game held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 15th, said, 스포츠토토 “Anyway, it seems that players who were injured in the first half returned and were able to regain their strength at the end of the first half. In the second half, it will probably be a more intense race. I wish I had a good feeling about doing it again and start over.”
KT fell into a slump due to injuries to players at the beginning of the season. At the end of May, the record was the lowest with 16 wins, 2 draws and 29 losses. However, it was successful in rebounding in June. With 15 wins and 8 losses, it ranked first in June. The ranking also rose to 7th place. Injured players returned and breathed new life into the team. Park Byeong-ho thought that all players should be free of injuries. He said, “I think it would be good if all team players were free of injuries. It’s good for us to do without injuries as well,” he said.
Park Byung-ho participated in 71 games this season and recorded 66 hits, 7 homers, 42 RBIs, 26 runs, a batting average of 0.267, an on-base percentage of 0.343, a slugging percentage of 0.389, and an OPS of 0.731. He cited slugging as both a regrettable point in the first half and a goal in the second half. Park Byung-ho said, “Personally, I think my slugging power has dropped a lot compared to last year’s performance. That’s a bit disappointing.” It seems to be big,” he said.
On the other hand, KT will start the second half with three consecutive away matches against Samsung in Daegu on the 21st. Attention is focusing on whether he can continue the momentum he swept in the last three Kiwoom matches in the first half.