Former coach Kim Jong-guk also failed to solve this task in the end.

The reason why the appointment of a new manager for the KIA Tigers is attracting attention is not simply because an accident occurred in the KBO League's most popular team. Since this year's KIA has top-tier power, it is difficult to ignore expectations that the new coach may immediately be awarded the title of winning coach.

There is an absolute priority to ensure the success of foreign pitchers Will Crowe and James Nail and to minimize injuries. However, if this goes well, there is a high possibility that they will become a rival to the LG Twins and KT Wiz. The starting lineup will become stronger, and the power of the complete batting lineup was proven with 9 consecutive wins from late August to early September last year. And starting last year, the bullpen depth has grown significantly. The catching problem was solved, and the center line became stronger thanks to Park Chan-ho's growth. The synergy between Kim Do-young, Park Chan-ho, and Choi Won-jun can maximize mobility.

So, can the new KIA coach just take the baton without any worries? That's not it. The problem that KIA has not yet solved is training and establishing the next generation of heavy hitters. KIA's batting lineup has a lot of structure, but in the long term, there needs to be a slugger and clutch hitter to succeed Choi Hyung-woo and Na Seong-beom. Looking at the current starting lineup, there is no clear home run hitter.

There are expectations that Kim Do-young will play this role in the long term, but at this point, the players KIA should invest more in are Byun Woo-hyuk (24) and Hwang Dae-in (28). The two are competing for the starting position at first base this season at the Canberra spring camp, along with Woo-sung Lee, who is preparing to play first base as well.

KIA's efforts to foster and establish sluggers have been constant since the days of former leaders Jo Gye-hyeon and Jang Jeong-seok, but have not borne fruit. Dae-in Hwang seemed to finally reach his potential with a batting average of 0.256, 14 home runs, and 91 RBI in 129 games in the 2022 season, but his batting average was only 0.213, 5 home runs, and 26 RBI in 60 games in the 2023 season. Due to a combination of poor performance and injuries, there was a long period of time where he was not seen in the first team.

Hwang Dae-in has been rehabilitating after undergoing bone fragment surgery on his elbow after the season. The club decided that it would be better for Hwang Dae-in to combine rehabilitation and practice at the second-team camp in Kochi rather than going to the first-team Canberra camp. For Hwang Dae-in, if he does not bounce back this season, his baseball career could be in serious trouble. This is because Byun Woo-hyuk showed potential for growth last season, and Lee Woo-sung is also formidable. If he shows some potential in Kochi, he is expected to secure ample time in the first team.

Byun Woo-hyuk recorded a batting average of 0.225, 7 home runs, and 24 RBIs in 83 games last season. Due to poor performance and injuries, he played for a little over half of the season. Still, there were favorable reviews saying that the batting posture was quite stable. Unlike Hwang Dae-in, he is preparing for the season in Canberra, so realistically, he should be seen as the player with the highest possibility of becoming the starting first baseman. However, as Byun Woo-hyuk has not clearly proven anything, he needs definite growth this season.

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