Lotte Giants rookie infielder Jung Dae-sun (19) broke into the first team this year and got a lot of playing time in the final stretch of September. There were injuries to the main players, but with the team’s hopes of a top-five finish on the line, Jung stepped up and made his mark. Although the results didn’t follow suit, it was a meaningful season for Jung.
In 19 games this year, he batted just 1-for-5 (40 at-bats) with six RBIs and a .392 OPS. He showed flashes of brilliance here and there, but nothing to really make an impression. In the amateur ranks, he saw time at shortstop and third base, but as a pro and in the Futures League, he played mostly second base to get a feel for the game. He was always one of the best-rated players in the Futures League, which led to his first-team debut. In 69 games with the Futures, he batted .237 (68-for-237) with two home runs, 32 RBIs, eight doubles, and a .735 OPS.토토사이트
Chung, who was drafted 43rd overall in the fifth round of this year’s First-Year Player Draft out of Sekwango, actually raised his stock just before the pro draft. Last year at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup in Florida, USA, Jung exploded as the starting third baseman for the national team, batting 6-for-16 with one home run, 10 RBI, and a 1.667 OPS. Against Canada, he hit a game-winning home run. For her performance, she was named to the All-World Team, the tournament’s top position player. Jung was named the best third baseman of the tournament.
Although he played a different position in the pros, he still had a great time gaining new experiences. Although his performance in the first team didn’t match his expectations, he wasn’t discouraged by it. “There were a lot of bad days and a lot of good days, but I think there were more good days. I was given a lot of opportunities in the second team and played quite a bit in the first team,” he said, laughing, “There were trials and errors, but I still had more happy days.”
He was known more for his batting than his defense. However, he eventually ran into the limitations of the first team. “At first, it went well. I felt good, but in the second half, my pace gradually dropped, so I think my desire to do well became more counterproductive.” “If I play in the first team next year, I want to build on the thoughts I had this year and do better next year,” he explained.
In defense, he also wants to return to his original position. He is currently working with coach Kim Min-ho to refine his defensive skills while enjoying defensive drills. “I’m trying to pay more attention to the details,” he said. Recently, defense has become a lot more interesting, so I feel like I want to try harder and do better in defense,” he said. “He explains footwork, new techniques, and steps well, so I try to follow them as much as possible,” he added.
“At second base, I don’t have much pressure on my fielding, but I still personally want to play shortstop, and I’ve seen a lot of shortstops and third basemen, so I’m greedy. If I get the chance, I want to play shortstop and third base again,” he said.
Eventually, he came to the conclusion that being competitive on defense would give him a better chance at a first-team spot, and that’s what he’s doing. “My strengths are in the outfield. In both the second and first teams, I didn’t make any mistakes in the field,” he said, adding, “Every team has to play good defense to win games. I think that’s what you think too, so I’m trying to do a good job on defense.”
“We want to keep our strengths in the field and know what we need to work on in the circle. Increasing his power, both offensively and defensively, is one of Jung’s offseason goals. “I felt that my power was definitely weak in the batting side, and I thought I needed a stronger serve,” he said, emphasizing, “I trained a lot of weights during the off-season, and I think my serve strength is weak, so I want to focus on building up my shoulders so that I can make a strong serve.”
Currently, the starting shortstop for Lotte’s first team is Noh Jin-hyuk (35), who was signed as a free agent. It’s time to start thinking about the future after Noh. Jung Dae-sun is probably focusing on his defense in preparation for the post-Noh era. Although Noh still has three years left on his free agent contract, the club has no choice but to prepare for the ‘post’.
He said, “I’ve seen a lot of seniors in the first team who can hit well. I wanted to be as good as them,” he said, “but you can only survive in the first team if you are a defender. The bat is important, but I think defense is really important,” he said emphatically.
For now, the infield is relatively solid. At shortstop, Noh Jin-hyuk’s back injury risk is always a concern. At second base, the team has free agent Ahn Chi-hong, and Ko Seung-min is taking lessons at second base. At third base, Han Dong-hee and Kim Min-soo are among the candidates. However, Jeong Dae-sun is not without gaps. If he can turn his ambitions into reality, he could send ripples through the stagnant infield competition.