Professional baseball player Kim Min-hyuk (29) of Doosan Bears ultimately failed to prove his potential and has been demoted to the second team.
Kim Min-hyuk started as the sixth first baseman in the game against the KIA Tigers in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 5th. However, Kim Min-hyuk did not receive many opportunities. He struck out swinging against right-handed starting pitcher Kim Do-hyun in his first at-bat and was immediately substituted for pinch hitter Kim In-tae in the next at-bat. Following that, he appeared as a defensive substitute in the 9th inning against Lotte on the 6th, after which he was removed from the first team roster on the 7th.
Kim Min-hyuk, who joined Doosan through the second round of the 2015 rookie draft (16th overall), has long been anticipated by the team and fans as a power-hitting first baseman. Given his impressive slugging ability, there were expectations that he would grow into Doosan's next-generation centerpiece.
In fact, in the Futures League, Kim Min-hyuk showed that he had nothing more to offer. Over a total of 8 seasons in the Futures League, he recorded a batting average of .299 in 425 games (1,351 at-bats, 404 hits), 68 home runs, 286 RBIs, 188 runs scored, 5 stolen bases, and an OPS of .883. However, he failed to perform to expectations when he made it to the first team. His career record in the KBO League stands at just 118 games, a batting average of .222 (214 at-bats, 47 hits), 8 home runs, 33 RBIs, 22 runs scored, and an OPS of .666.
This season, Kim Min-hyuk has recorded subpar performance with a batting average of .083 (12 at-bats, 1 hit) and an OPS of .297 over 14 games. He has not demonstrated enough potential to earn many opportunities and ultimately failed to make a significant impact. Additionally, fourth-year power hitting prospect Kim Dong-jun has performed well, boasting a batting average of .400 (15 at-bats, 6 hits), 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 2 runs scored, and an OPS of 1.067 over 8 games, which resulted in his call-up to the first team on the 3rd before being demoted to the second team on the 7th.
Doosan interim manager Jo Seong-hwan noted in an interview on the 5th, "We have been monitoring Kim Dong-jun since the Miyazaki training league last year. The speed at which he is growing is truly remarkable based on his swing and quality of contact. Even now in the first team, he is increasingly proving himself in the batting box," praising Kim Dong-jun while explaining the reasoning for including Kim Min-hyuk in the starting lineup despite not having shown significant results over the past two days.
"Having waited for several years, I hope Kim Min-hyuk can contribute to today's victory," stated Jo Seong-hwan. "I hope he proves that those years of waiting were not in vain," he expressed, sharing his expectations for Kim Min-hyuk's performance. However, Kim Min-hyuk exhibited a disappointing performance in his first at-bat and was replaced right away, leading to his demotion to the second team. Ultimately, he was unable to prove himself.
Doosan is currently recording a record of 25 wins, 3 ties, and 36 losses, with a winning percentage of .410, placing them 9th in the league. During a time when they are struggling at the bottom, it is crucial for them to secure each victory in order to regain a spot in the postseason. This implies that there is no room for patience regarding players who do not produce results. Attention is focused on whether Kim Min-hyuk, who has been awaited for 11 years by Doosan, can repay that patience with significant performances in the remaining season.
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