The shoulders of the 19-year-old youngest saved the team from the crisis.
Kt Wiz outfielder Jung Joon-young 메이저사이트 (19) replaced Anthony Alford as a major defense in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Samsung Lions in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 23rd.
Jung Joon-young’s true value appeared in the second half of the game. KT manager Lee Kang-chul clearly proved why he was sent out as a major defense.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, when the team was leading 8-7, the situation was two outs and runners on first and second base. The ball hit by Ryu Ji-hyuk fell in front of left fielder Jung Joon-young. An Joo-hyung, a pinch-runner, quickly turned third base and dug into the home plate. Jung Joon-young caught and quickly sprayed catcher Jang Sung-woo to catch the opponent.
KT, which kept the lead with Jung Joon-young’s good defense, continued the atmosphere and won 8-7 against Samsung. Jung Joon-young showed off his outstanding shoulders and gave the team its first winning series in the second half.
▲ Jung Joon-young saved the team from the crisis by using his strong throwing ability. ⓒKt WIZ*
Jung Joon-young wore a kt uniform as the 20th overall ranking in the second round of the “2023 KBO League Rookie Draft.” This season is the first professional season, but he is contributing to the team by showing active play in batting, defense, and base running.
According to the KT Futures League’s power analyst, “Jung Joon-young has a good start (first) and a wide range of defense.” In particular, he is a player with strong shoulders and has excellent strength and accuracy of the throw. And he is showing his potential by showing his talent on the first team stage.
In fact, it was not the first time that Jung Joon-young’s shoulders shone against Samsung. On the 9th of last month, he also showed a brilliant play against Kiwoom Heroes in Suwon. In the top of the ninth inning, when the 2-2 thin ice game continued, Lee Jung-hoo’s hit was caught at first and second bases with one out and threw it accurately home to deal with second baseman Lim Byung-wook. He saved the team twice this season alone. It was an unbelievable play that 19-year-old Rookie showed.
▲ Jung Joon-young is energizing the team in many ways this season. ⓒKt WIZ*
In addition to defense, Jung Joon-young can revitalize the team in many ways as he is capable of excellent contact skills, operational performance, aggressive base running and solo stealing. He is a special prospect who is more expected in the future.
Meanwhile, KT won the winning series against Samsung and moved up one notch to sixth place in the league (39 wins, 2 draws and 42 losses). Thanks to Jung Joon-young’s shoulder, who put the main good fielders such as An Joo-hyung and Lim Byung-wook to sleep, the team was able to finish its first start in the second half in a good mood.