How did the defending champion become a one-man team led by Choi Hyung-woo? I did not realize the gap created by the absence of key players like Kim Do-young, Na Sung-beom, and Patrick Wisdom would be this large.

The eighth matchup of the season between the KIA Tigers and KT Wiz took place on the 31st of last month at Suwon KT Wiz Park.

In the top of the eighth inning, tied 1-1, the true face of the KIA Plan B lineup was clearly revealed. After one out, Oh Sun-woo hit a double that sharply struck the upper portion of the left-center fence, creating a scoring opportunity. At the plate was Choi Hyung-woo, who ranks first in the league with an OPS of 1.041 and second in batting average at .341. The KT bench did not hesitate and automatically walked him intentionally.

The strategy of KT, which opted for players ranked around 1.5 in place of Choi Hyung-woo, proved successful. After Won Sang-hyun struck out Kim Seok-hwan looking, closer Park Young-hyun took the mound and turned pinch-hitter Lee Woo-sung into a grounder to third base, ending the inning.

With key players like Kim Do-young (hamstring), Na Sung-beom (calf), Wisdom (back), and Choi Won-jun (poor performance) absent from the first team, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho has been reluctantly calling up promising players from the Futures League for use, but the reality is harsh. To make matters worse, starting shortstop Park Chan-ho has also recently fallen into a slump with a batting average of .211 over the last 10 games, meaning that aside from Choi Hyung-woo, nearly all of the eight players have become variables rather than constants.

After suffering two consecutive losses last weekend, KIA managed to secure two victories at home against the Kiwoom Heroes, but their opponent was the league's worst team. On May 29, they shockingly drew 3-3 with the last-place team. Facing the rising KT in Suwon, they only managed to score 1 run in each game on the 30th and 31st, causing their win-loss margin to fall back to -2. The 1.5 league-level batting lineup has frequently shown signs of reaching its limit over the past three days.

Currently, the only reliable hitter in the Tigers lineup is Choi Hyung-woo. At an age where retirement is a viable option, he is carrying the heavy responsibility of full-time play, exhibiting a batting average of .341 over 53 games, alongside 10 home runs, 37 RBIs, 30 runs, a slugging percentage of .605, an on-base percentage of .436, and an OPS of 1.041. As seen in the previous day's game, KIA faces an effective zero in terms of reliable players who can change the game if they avoid Choi Hyung-woo.

In response, manager Lee Beom-ho met with reporters the previous day and noted, "Choi Hyung-woo's recent performance is invaluable. However, he is getting on base so frequently and running a lot that we need to give him a little rest, but he insists he's fine and continues to play. I really appreciate that. "

He added, "As the oldest member, he could ease up a bit, but given the numerous injuries and the presence of many young players in the first team, he is putting in extra effort to show the younger players how it’s done. It seems like he carries the intention of saying, ‘If I can do this much, you all should do more.’ I can’t express enough gratitude for him."

Fortunately for KIA, Wisdom and Choi Won-jun are on the verge of returning from the second team. Wisdom participated in interleague games against the SoftBank Hawks' third team on May 30 and 31, going hitless in 2 at-bats with a walk and 3 at-bats without a hit to reacquaint himself with in-game scenarios, while Choi Won-jun recorded 2 hits in 4 at-bats and went hitless in 3 at-bats. If they return soon, it is expected that Choi Hyung-woo’s burden will lessen, and the offense will become more lively than it currently is.

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