Kiwoom Heroes’ Kim Hye-sung, 24, became the 10th player in KBO history to reach 20 stolen bases for six consecutive years.
Kim went 1-for-5 with a home run, one RBI, one run scored, and one stolen base while starting at second base against the KT Wiz in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday.
In the bottom of the third inning, with runners on first and second base, Kim stole second base on a single by Lee Jung-hoo to reach the 20-steal plateau for the season. She is the 10th player since Park Hae-min (Samsung) in 2019 to reach 20 stolen bases in six consecutive years.
Manager Hong Won-ki, who praised Kim Hye-sung’s baserunning, said, “I can’t say much about her because I only stole three bases in my career. But I often admire Kim Hye-sung’s base running. Her judgment is excellent and she definitely has her own know-how when it comes to stealing bases.”
After winning the stolen base title for the first time in his career in 2021 with 46 stolen bases, Kim was second in the league last season with 34 stolen bases. This season, she’s still second in stolen bases, but only one behind leader Shin Min-jae (LG, 21).
“Of course, I want to win the stolen base title,” Kim said, “but I’m focusing on the success rate rather than the number of stolen bases. If I die at the plate, it’s unfortunate and the team atmosphere is bad. If you succeed, you’re in scoring position, but if you’re out, the runner is gone from first base, so I try to play when I can.”
Since becoming the stolen base king in 2021, Kim Hye-sung has had an overwhelming stolen base success rate. She had a 92.0% stolen base rate in 2021, 82.9% last year, and 90.9% this year. This year, she has 20 successful stolen bases and only two failed attempts.메이저놀이터
Despite his high success rate, he says, “I have so many memories of failing to steal. I feel like I only remember failing,” Kim laughed, “I feel like I have my own criteria for stealing bases. It’s not about the timing of the pitch or anything like that. The catchers have better heads than me. It just depends on the situation, and I feel like if I run now, I’ll live. I just look at the timing and make sure my feet are moving well,” he said, explaining his stealing know-how.
Kim has been selected to represent Korea at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September, which means she will have to take a two-week hiatus to participate in the competition, which will hurt her chances of winning the stealing title. However, Kim said, “I can’t help it. I’ll play hard now and play hard again when I get back,” she said.