‘Achievement of the Year Award’ What does this season feel like for Shin Min-jae of LG?

 They finished the season in 5th place with 74 wins, 2 draws, 68 losses, and a winning percentage of 0.521. Considering that the final score of the previous season was 9th, at least the ‘Maginot Line’ was maintained. However, there were many voices expressing regret, perhaps because they had the opportunity to climb a little higher. Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop, who made his debut season as head coach, looked back on the past season after finishing training and expressed his determination for next season.

There were aspects of Doosan baseball in the 2023 season that turned out differently from the original calculation. The pitching staff that I was worried about worked beyond calculations. The team's average ERA was 3.92, ranking third overall after LG and NC. However, the team's batting line, which was expected to show at least competitiveness above the league average, failed to exert its power. He finished the season ranked 9th in team batting average (0.255) and 6th in team OPS (0.706).

Tasks for next season are also becoming clearer. Doosan is in a situation where the team's batting lineup must provide an opportunity for a rebound while leading the upward trend of the pitching staff.

It seems necessary to share the pitching area between the '2030' generation to some extent. The pitching staff needs continued growth from pitchers in their 20s, who have become a new driving force this season. It is worth envisioning a scenario where right-hander ace Kwak Bin (24), another right-hander Kim Dong-ju (21), and left-hander Choi Seung-yong (22) breathe life into the starting lineup.

Kwak Bin is already establishing himself as a representative league starter. After finishing the season with 12 wins, 7 losses, and an average ERA of 2.90, he laid the foundation for further growth by pitching 5 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 1 run in the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) 2023 final against Japan held on the 19th of last month. .

In addition, Kim Dong-ju suffered from low stamina during his first full-time season, but he proved his potential to grow into an orthodox large pitcher. Choi Seung-yong showed some ups and downs with his pitch in his second season as a de facto first-team pitcher, but showed several signs of overcoming his trial and error toward the end of the second half. Choi Seung-yong also gained experience by participating in APBC.

The Doosan mound is undergoing a rapid generational change with the retirement of veteran left-hander Jang Won-jun (38). Jeong Cheol-won (24), the 'core' of the bullpen, is also among the leaders of Doosan's young mound.

In the batting lineup, the role of veteran players in their 30s is important. Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop, who has been actively providing on-site guidance since the last finishing camp, is expected to directly develop young hitters in their 20s through next year's spring camp. However, the foundation of the entire batting lineup must be established by ‘oldies in their 30s.’

Yang Eui-ji (36), who is in his second season since returning to Doosan, Yang Seok-hwan (32), who remained as a free agent this off-season, and Kim Jae-hwan (35), who is preparing for the third season of his free agent contract, come to mind first. Assuming that Yang Eui-ji with an OPS of 0.870 and Yang Seok-hwan with an OPS of 0.787 maintain their recent records at least last season, Kim Jae-hwan, who was quiet with an OPS of 0.674 and 10 home runs, must at least produce results that are close to the 2022 season in which he posted an OPS of 0.800 and 23 home runs in order for the entire batting lineup to be formed. It looks like it will stand up again. The offense and defense performance of Jeong Soo-bin (33) and Heo Gyeong-min (33), who are veterans in their 30s but are also talented players, are also important as they were this year.

Doosan is preparing to open next season with at least a bigger dream than this season. The ‘key’ to success or failure is held by pitchers in their 20s and hitters in their 30s.

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