Could the desperate offseason effort of 'Jamsil slugger' Kim Jae-hwan (Doosan Bears) finally be paying off? After a period of adjustment in the second team, he showcased an OPS of 1.167 during the three-game series at Gocheok, exuding the scent of a past MVP.

On the 24th, Kim Jae-hwan started as the fifth designated hitter in an away game against the Kiwoom Heroes at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, recording 3 hits (1 home run) and 5 RBIs in 5 at-bats, leading his team to a 9-3 victory.

The long hits started from the first inning. With a score of 0-0 in the top of the first, with two outs and runners on first and third, he entered the game against Kiwoom starter Kim Yeon-joo and hit a 2-RBI triple to right-center. This marked his personal 16th triple after a 1,071-day gap since the game against the SSG Landers on May 19, 2022. This was also the deciding hit of the game. Later, in the top of the third, leading 4-0, he hit a single to right off Kim Yeon-joo with two outs and no runners on, achieving a multi-hit game early on.

In the top of the fifth, Kim Jae-hwan took a breather with a ground ball to second base, then hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh, sealing the game. With one out and runners on first and second, he launched a majestic 130-meter arch to right field off Park Joo-seong. After watching the first pitch ball, he hit a 140 km fastball that was right down the middle, marking his third home run of the season in just two games since the game against Kiwoom on the 22nd.

After concluding his at-bat with a ground ball to second base in the top of the ninth, Kim Jae-hwan significantly raised his batting average from .226 to .254. With a slugging percentage of .448 and an on-base percentage of .333, his OPS also increased to .781. It was a game that made the words of manager Lee Seung-yup, "Doosan needs Kim Jae-hwan to perform," a reality.

Signed to a 11.5 billion won four-year free agent contract with Doosan for the 2022 season, Kim Jae-hwan rebounded last year with 29 home runs following struggles in the first two years, aided by the finishing camp training from manager Lee Seung-yup and attending a school run by former major leaguer Kang Jeong-ho in the U.S. Kim Jae-hwan, however, did not settle for his revival and took Kang Jeong-ho's expensive private lessons for two consecutive years but faced a challenging early season before the Gocheok series.

Kim Jae-hwan was designated as a 'strong number two hitter' rather than the cleanup hitter for Doosan in the 2025 season. After hitting a home run in the final exhibition game, he started the season strong with 2 hits and 2 RBIs in 5 at-bats, including a double in the season opener against the Incheon SSG Landers. However, he fell into a severe slump with a monthly batting average of .242 in March and .136 in April. His last extra-base hit was on March 29 against the Jamsil Samsung Lions, and ultimately, he received notice of demotion to the second team after finishing the first 15 games with a batting average of .200 (11 hits in 55 at-bats), 1 home run, and 6 RBIs.

Although Kim Jae-hwan struggled with a batting average of .111 in the Futures League, he returned to the first team as planned on the 22nd. In the three games against Kiwoom at Gocheok, he posted an astonishing record of a .500 batting average (6 hits in 12 at-bats), 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 2 walks, a slugging percentage of 1.167, an on-base percentage of .571, and an OPS of 1.738. He heated up his bat with 2 hits, 1 home run, and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats on the first day, followed by a spectacular performance with 1 hit, 2 walks, and 2 runs on the second day, and on this day, he delivered an explosive batting display missing just a double in a cycling hit. His performance reminded fans of his MVP season in 2018, where he hit 44 home runs.

After the game, Kim Jae-hwan noted, "In Icheon, I focused more on running and the basics rather than the technical aspects. I ran a lot, like an athletics team. I think I thought more about not being impatient. In fact, at the very start of the season, there’s not much that can change technically. While running a lot, I cleared my mind." He further explained, "The hits are coming out as I expected. Even if I get out, the hits are coming out well, so I think that's good."

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