The 2023 KBO League game between the Samsung Lions and the Doosan Bears was held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Aug. 8. Doosan’s Jung Soo-bin sprinting after hitting a solo home run in the first inning.
The KBO’s stolen base leader through 25 games is Shin Min-jae (27r-LG). With his quick feet, he entered the season as a specialized pinch-hitter and has become a regular at second base.
He stole 33 bases, making him the only player in the league to break 30 steals.
There’s a player starting to catch up. Park Chan-ho (28-KIA) and Jeong Soo-bin (33-Dusan) are just four stolen bases away from the top spot with 29. Park Chan-ho is currently unable to play due to a finger injury. Opportunities are starting to come his way.
Since his debut, Jeong has been earning playing time with his speed and flair. He stole 13 bases in his rookie year, and also stole more than 30 bases in 2011 (31) and 2014 (32). He has had double-digit stealing streaks in all but one year, 2018, when he was discharged from the Police Baseball Organization. 토토사이트
This season, Jung has begun to show signs of being a “big hitter” once again. After posting 15-12-15 stolen base totals over the past three years, Jeong stole 18 bases in the first half alone.
After struggling in the first half of the season, Jeong has been in great form since the fall. This naturally led to big performances in the postseason, and the nickname “Jung.ga.yung” (Jung is the hero of the fall),
This season, Jung got off to a fast start. After a slow start in May with a 1-for-9, 8-run batting average in 21 games, he followed it up with a 3-for-1, 5-run batting average in 24 games in June. From June through August, his on-base percentage remained above 3% in every month, which naturally led to a steady stream of stolen bases. Even in May, when he struggled at the plate, he still managed to steal seven bases, showing a clear advantage on the basepaths.
With less than 20 games left in the season, a four-steal difference may seem like a long way off. However, given the pace he’s been on lately, it’s nothing to sneeze at.
Since September, Jung has a .388 on-base percentage. Shin Min-jae, on the other hand, is at a slightly slower pace at 0.275. In addition, Jung has a stolen base success rate of 87.9% this season, which is nearly 16% higher than Shin’s (71.7%).
For Jung, who has yet to win a title since joining the organization, this is a great opportunity to win his first title.