After leaving a disappointing season batting average of .200, Kim Jae-hwan (Doosan Bears), known as the 'Jamsil slugger' who established a hitting theory at the Kang Jung-ho school in the United States for two consecutive years, headed to the second team.
The professional baseball team Doosan Bears removed outfielder Kim Jae-hwan and infielder Oh Myung-jin from the roster ahead of the game against the LG Twins on the 11th and newly registered rookie infielder Park Jun-soon and catcher Jang Seung-hyun.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Kim Jae-hwan was appointed as the 'strong number two hitter' to lead the Doosan lineup. He started the season well with 2 hits and 2 RBIs in 5 at-bats, including a double in the first game against the SSG Landers in Incheon after a home run in the final exhibition game, but fell into a severe slump with a March batting average of .242 and a batting average of .136 in April. Since hitting a double in the game against the Samsung Lions on March 29, his long hits disappeared, and the manager found no reason to use Kim Jae-hwan.
Kim Jae-hwan ultimately finished with a batting average of .200 (11 hits in 55 at-bats), 1 home run, and 6 RBIs, receiving notification of his first move to the second team this season. Manager Lee Seung-yeop explained, "Kim Jae-hwan needs to show his true self, but that appearance has yet to emerge. Next week there are no games on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, so he will miss 6 out of 10 days due to this removal." Doosan postponed the three-game series against the NC Dinos from the 15th to the 17th due to safety inspections at Changwon NC Park.
Kim Jae-hwan, who was not satisfied with last year's 29 home run revival, spent the off-season returning to the 'former Major League Baseball player' Kang Jung-ho school in the United States. After receiving expensive private lessons from Kang Jung-ho, he participated in spring camp in Sydney, Australia, and told reporters, "Last season was a process of establishing the new theories I learned, whereas now I've completely changed the way I see the ball. After practicing alone following my trip to the United States, I confirmed that I improved to a level that I can’t compare with last year."
However, Kim Jae-hwan raised concerns by posting poor records with a batting average of .131, 1 home run, and 3 RBIs in 8 exhibition games. Nevertheless, the manager asked back, "Is there much significance to the exhibition game performance for a player of Kim Jae-hwan's caliber?" and expressed his trust, saying, "I believe that despite the current struggles, he will undoubtedly show his original self once the regular season starts. I hope that the current struggles will lead to better performance during the season." But after the opening, he found himself in the second team just 17 games later.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop, who made the significant decision to send Kim Jae-hwan to the second team, stated, "I hope Kim Jae-hwan finds himself and returns. Losing him has a significant impact on the team," and added, "I told Jae-hwan, ‘When a left-handed pitcher comes out, don’t create situations where you can leave mid-game. When you come back, think that you’ll play all remaining games regardless of which pitcher comes out in your original form.'"
Attention is drawn to whether Kim Jae-hwan can regain the majesty of the Jamsil slugger through his ten-day stint in the second team. Kim Jae-hwan is facing the 2025 season with two heavy missions: the revival of the team and impending free agency.
[OSEN]