Kang-min Kim

From BR Bullpen

Kang-min Kim (김강민)

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.

BR register page

Biographical Information[edit]

Kang-min Kim has been an outfielder. He debuted for the SK Wyverns in 2002, playing one game and not coming to the plate. In 2003, he was 2 for 4. The next year, he went 3 for 25 with a double, homer and three walks. Kim was 9 for 40 with a double and four walks in 2005. In 2006, Kim batted .276/.342/.372 in 96 games as a part-timer. As a starter in 2007, Kim hit .243/.312/.326 with 19 steals. In 2008, he batted .271/.352/.391. The Wyverns won both the 2007 Korean Series and 2008 Korean Series.

In 2009, the 26-year-old flyhawk produced at a .267/.324/.343 rate. He was having his best year yet after 108 games in 2010, hitting .324/.375/.462 with 72 runs and 72 RBI. That won him a spot on South Korea's roster for the 2010 Asian Games; they won Gold. He finished at .317/.396/.449 to place 8th in the league in average (between Hyun-soo Kim and Jong-wook Lee). He joined those two as the outfielders winning KBO Gold Gloves, which go to the best overall player at each position. It was his only time taking home the honor. SK won the 2010 Korean Series.

Kim fell to .281/.331/.424 in 2011 and .272/.322/.354 in 2012. SK lost the 2012 Korean Series to the Samsung Lions though he hit a 3-run homer in a comeback win in Game 3. In 2013, he batted .301/.370/.466 in a rebound season. He had a fine 2014 at .302/.368/.495 with 29 doubles, 16 homers, 86 runs, 82 RBI and 32 steals in 37 tries. He tied Soo-bin Jung and Keun-woo Jeong for 7th in the league in swipes and missed the top-ten in runs by two.

The veteran dropped to .246/.315/.345 and seven steals in 2015 then rebounded again, to .298/.371/.437 in 2016. He tied Si-hyun Son and Eric Thames for 7th in times plunked (12). He eked out a .219/.296/.339 line in 2017 but was clearly not done when he hit .298/.370/.536 with 14 homers in 235 AB in 2018 (though his playing time was down from his peak). SK won the 2018 Korean Series.

In 2019, he was back to a regular role and he hit .270/.324/.370. He fell to a part-time situation again at age 37 in 2020, producing at a .253/.323/.422 clip with 12 homers in 289 AB. The Wyverns became the SSG Landers in 2021 and he batted .239/.328/.405. He was a key bench player in 2022, hitting .303/.375/.449. He then came up huge in the 2022 Korean Series. He became the oldest player to homer in a Korean postseason when he took Kiwoom Heroes closer Jae-woong Kim deep to tie it in the 9th inning of the opener. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the 9th in Game 5, he drilled a 3-run pinch-hit shot off Won-tae Choi for a stunning winner. He was 3 for 8 with two homers and five RBI in the six-game Series. Despite not starting a game, he won Korean Series MVP thanks to his clutch hits. He was the oldest Series MVP, breaking the record Kyung-su Park had held for only one year.

Sources[edit]

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