After calling up the first team, his batting average is .467. He hit long hits at every crisis, providing a strong foundation for his team’s 10th consecutive win. However, the head coach talked about ‘failure’.
Park Joon-young is the hottest hitter in the Doosan Bears recently. After a first-team call-up, he recorded seven hits in 15 at-bats, one home run, and eight RBIs in five games. Of the seven hits, only one hit was made. He hit long hits at every important moment, helping the team to win consecutive games. In the match against KIA in Gwangju on the 21st, when Doosan succeeded in winning 10 consecutive games for the first time in 5 years and 1 month, Park Joon-young also hit a sweeping triple to seal the team’s victory.
When he joined the pro league, Park Joon-young was on the mound, not on the batter’s box. Park Joon-young, who joined the NC Dinos as 안전놀이터 the first draft pick of the 2016 rookie draft, recorded one win, three losses, and five holds in 33⅔ innings in 32 games in his first season and a 6.95 ERA. The following year, he turned to a batter and enlisted as an active soldier after switching to a fostering player, but injured his elbow and converted to a social service worker to complete his military service.
Park Joon-young, who returned to NC ahead of the 2020 season, began to get a chance as a batter, but his batting average did not exceed the early 20% range until last year, and he had to be satisfied with his backup role. Meanwhile, a change in baseball life began when NC recruited FA catcher Park Se-hyuk and received a compensation player nomination from Doosan.
Park Joon-young, who has appeared in the Futures League since mid-May, slowly regained his senses as he moved back and forth between shortstop and third baseman. Just before the first-tier call-up, he proved that he finished preparing with a batting average of .303 in 10 Futures games, and he seems to continue this trend. In addition to his performance in offense and defense, he is also showing his fast feet and sense. Park Joon-young’s appearance is worth recalling Doosan’s representation of “flower pot baseball.”
Coach Lee said of Park Joon-young, “I remember him as a pitcher when I retired from active duty. I didn’t see it well after turning into a beast (when I was a broadcast commentator). He said, “I’ve just heard that he’s a rising star.” “When I saw him in injury rehabilitation after joining the compensation player, my first impression was that he looked very fit,” he said. “A very good player came from Junghoon Lee Futures (second division) coach.” “It’s like an object.” “There was a weakness, but I think I made up for it a lot by playing the Futures game,” he said. “If you don’t have experience, you will have weaknesses in responding to breaking balls rather than fastballs, but when I saw the last SSG match, you responded well.” He also showed stability in defense. “It’s the middle of the season, but I thought (Park Joon-young) would be very helpful,” he said.
Recently, Park Joon-young’s confidence has gradually increased. Coach Lee said, “It’s a relief if you have confidence,” but added, “But you have to try to fail once.” “(Park Joon-young) is showing good performance in every game now, but I think it will be a judgment only when I see a mistake in the clutch situation or the next time I step down from the chance situation,” he pointed out. He also said, “I think I’ll be depressed because I failed one, but since I’m a person, I have to wait and see how to respond to important situations.” “If that part goes well, I will be a very good player,” he said.
It is certainly noteworthy to have good talent and prove it in practice. However, the head coach of the national batter, who has experienced all sorts of hardships, was even looking forward to the number after that.