"Park Hae-min-class, I can go more than that." It was the first season of the outfield conversion…How much will the 163cm-tall giant's position change go from 160 million
"Park Hae-min-class, I can go more than that." It was the first season of the outfield conversion…How much will the 163cm-tall giant's position change go from 160 million
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Changing the position of the 163 cm small giant was a stroke of genius. A big payday awaits.
Kim Ji-chan of the Samsung Lions is taking on a new challenge ahead of the 2024 season. He immediately changed his position. He also moved from the infield to the outfield. Of course, he played in 26 innings in center field and five innings in right field, according to Statistics Korea.
After graduating from Raon High School, Kim Ji-chan wore the Samsung uniform as the 15th pick in the second round of the second round of the 2020 KBO Rookie Draft. Since his debut in the first division in 2020, he has been a regular infielder for Samsung.
However, there were many errors. In the 2020 season, it was okay with 10 but increased to 19 in the 2021 season and recorded 22 in the 2022 season. In the 2023 season, despite playing 99 games, there were 16 errors. Especially against the Lotte Giants in Busan on June 28, 2023, he showed regret by making three errors even before the fifth inning was over.
Samsung coach Park Jin-man changed his position to center field to make use of Kim's fast feet and hitting ability. As he was under low pressure to throw balls, he decided that Kim Ji-chan would be able to do well. And this led to a huge success.
He may have had some difficulties adapting himself to the new season, but as time passed by, he made coach Park Jin-man and his fans laugh with his stable defense. He has saved his team from danger by displaying stellar defense several times. On Aug. 23, 2024, against the Lotte Giants in Daegu, he made a super catch of Jung Hoon's ball with runners on third and two outs in the top of the seventh inning. He almost missed the ball as it hit the fence, but he did not miss it until the end. All the fans who visited Lapak were surprised.
During the season, coach Park Jin-man said, "In the early days of the season, I felt that I lacked experience. Outfield flying balls don't fly regularly. However, I feel relaxed. Even from the bench, I have gained a sense of stability. If I have more experience, I think I will be able to get better than Park Hae-min-class to chase ball movements. I think I will be able to catch any ball no matter what it flies."
He shook off his anxiety about defense, and his offense and base running also stood out. Kim appeared in 135 games this season, recording 143 hits, three homers, 36 RBIs, 102 runs, 42 steals, and a batting average of 0.316. He has also set a career high by making the most appearances in a single season as an individual player since the 2020 season. He also garnered hits, RBIs, runs scored and stole bases. His team ranked second in the regular season league and advanced to the Korean Series for the first time in nine years since 2015. It was happiness to both the team and the players.
Although he played only 99 games, the fewest since his debut, in the aftermath of a hamstring injury last season, he made his best season since his debut with a successful outfield settlement this season.
Kim Ji-chan's annual salary is what he is waiting for. Kim Ji-chan's 2024 annual salary is 160 million won. His 2023 annual salary and freeze were inevitable. As mentioned above, he failed to raise his salary because he played the fewest games since his debut. However, he is different this time. He is grateful that he has solved Samsung's concern over the starting center fielder, which has been a concern since Park Hae-min moved to the LG Twins. Raising his salary seems natural.
How much will Kim Ji-chan earn from 160 million won. 안전놀이터