The 2024 KIA Tigers ‘new captain’ is Na Seong-beom. While attention is focused on the leadership shown by the arm-wearing bulk-up evangelist, will the Tiger Corps also be able to power up?
On October 28th, the KIA Tigers fan appreciation festival ‘Tiger Festival’ was held. At this event, it was announced that Na Seong-beom was appointed as the new captain for the 2024 season after Kim Sun-bin, who had been the team captain for the past two years, stepped down as captain.메이저사이트
Kim Sun-bin acquires free agency qualifications for the second time this winter. As it is still undecided whether he will wear the KIA uniform in the 2024 season, it appears that the captaincy has been handed over to Na Seong-beom.
Na Seong-beom wore a KIA uniform as he signed a large-scale free agent contract worth a total of 15 billion won over 6 years ahead of the 2022 season.
Na Seong-beom played in 144 games in the 2022 season and led the team to the fall baseball season with a batting average of 0.320/180 hits/21 home runs/97 RBI/on-base percentage of 0.402/slugging percentage of 0.508.
The 2023 season was a time full of bad luck for Na Seong-beom due to injuries rather than poor performance. Na Seong-beom joined the WBC national team ahead of the 2023 season, but was unable to play properly due to a calf injury. In the end, Na Seong-beom, who did not even join the opening lineup, only joined the first team at the end of June, marking his belated start to the season.
Despite a somewhat late start to the season, Na Seong-beom showed off his crazy batting pace. In particular, following August (batting average 0.376 / 32 hits / 5 home runs / 22 RBI), the atmosphere was reaching its peak in September (batting average 0.444 / 24 hits / 6 home runs / 20 RBI).
However, this time, bad luck with injury struck Na Seong-beom. Na Seong-beom suffered a hamstring injury while running base in the game against the Gwangju LG Twins on September 19 and was ruled out for the season. KIA, weakened by the departure of center hitter Na Seong-beom, ended up in 6th place in the league despite competing in the top 5 until the end of the regular season.
It was the 2023 season where Na Seong-beom’s presence could be truly felt. If Na Seong-beom had spent the full season healthy, I was curious about what kind of performance he would have achieved both individually and as a team.
Now Na Seong-beom must demonstrate leadership as captain in the 2024 season and at the same time lead the team’s challenge to win the ‘Win Now’ title with a healthy full-time season.
Also, Na Seong-beom is famous as a ‘bulk-up evangelist.’ Kim Do-young, a junior on the team who went through long-term rehabilitation this year, also said that he enjoyed a significant increase in strength while doing weight training with Na Seong-beom. A situation has been created where ‘Captain Na Seong-beom’ can further encourage team Ya Soo-jin to power up. The 2024 season is expected to be a more realistic year for the club’s hopes that Na Seong-beom will not only achieve individual results but also spread a positive culture to the team.