Yasiel Puig (35, Kiwoom Heroes) told reporters ahead of the final exhibition game that Kiwoom will never be last this season. In fact, this comment was also what he said when he entered Korea through Incheon International Airport after the spring camp on the 5th.먹튀검증

Kiwoom's exhibition game was full of hope. The team tied for third with the defending champion KIA Tigers with six wins, three losses and one draw. Regardless of victory or defeat, the game was good. There were quite a few games in which the batters performed well systematically, and the starters and bullpen moved to the counter of the bench.

The results and performance of exhibition games should not be interpreted in an expanded manner. Unlike during the regular season, the team focuses on checking individual performance and building up conditions without staging all-out matches. Of course, it was the same for Kiwoom, but they should never be overly encouraged by the third place in exhibition games.

However, some in the industry predict that Kiwoom may not be at the bottom this year. One of the backgrounds is the top batting line. The first to fifth batting order, which will lead to Yasiel Puig, Ruben Cadines, Song Seong-moon, Lee Ju-hyeong and Choi Joo-hwan, is a no-brainer for pitchers. As Hong Won-ki is all-in on the productivity and synergy of the top batting line, the bottom batting line is the weakest in the league, but it is true that he has implemented his own clear scoring route.

If Puig is to keep his words, his role is important after all. He played only three exhibition games due to his bad back, but this was his strong will to return to the game against the Daegu Samsung Lions on the 22nd. Puig needs to do better this year than he did three years ago. This is because the lineup has become incomparably weaker than then.

Puig batted .277 with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs and an OPS of 0.841 in 126 games in the 2022 season. Although he was an active player in the second half of the season, his poor early goals were too deep. It wasn't a bad performance for a foreign hitter, but it wasn't an overwhelming performance either. (Of course, his stellar postseason performance offset it once again.)

Will Puig be able to do better this year than he did three years ago? If Puig achieves 30 homers and 100 RBIs, Kiwoom will be close to being out of the top. Puig has never had 30 homers and 100 RBIs in the Major League. He has never individually achieved such a feat. When he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had 28 homers in 2017 and 84 RBIs in 2019 when he played for the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians.

Considering the level difference between the KBO League and the Major League, it is absolutely not unreasonable for Kiwoom to expect 30 home runs and 100 RBIs from Puig. Puig seems to have a lot of chances to go as a leadoff this year. 100 RBIs can be surprisingly difficult because the lower batting line is weak. However, not all 144 games will be leadoff. Using Gocheok Sky Dome as a home ground, 30 home runs is a really difficult mission. Still, Puig has to challenge and he can do it.

Matt Davidson (NC Dinos), Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers), Choi Jeong (SSG Landers), Yang Seok-hwan (Doosan Bears), Koo Ja-wook (Samsung Lions), Austin Dean (LG Twins), and Mel Rojas Jr. (KT Wiz) all hitters in the 2024 season. There were only three foreigners. Puig, who overwhelms them with specifications, should show them this 2025 season.