MLB가 주목하는 김도영 선수

MLB닷컴이 조명한 MVP 김도영 "아직 내 기량 최고 아냐, WBC는 큰 목표"

메이저리그(MLB) 공식 홈페이지 MLB닷컴이 KBO리그 최우수선수(MVP) 김도영(22·KIA 타이거즈)을 주목했다.

MLB닷컴은 20일(한국시간) 지난 시즌 김도영이 달성한 여러 기록과 함께 그와의 인터뷰를 전했다. 김도영은 "팀 내에서도 '잘할 줄은 알았지만 이렇게 빨리 잘할 줄은 몰랐다'는 말을 많이 들었다"며 "개인적으로 정말 만족한다. 하루하루 최선을 다했고 연말에 결실을 맺는 걸 보니 정말 만족스럽다"라고 흡족해했다.

김도영은 지난 시즌 KBO리그가 발굴한 '초대형 히트상품'이다. 시즌 141경기에 출전, 타율 0.347 38홈런 40도루 143득점 109타점을 기록했다. 지난해 4월 리그 사상 첫 월간 10홈런-10도루 달성을 시작으로 역대 5번째 전반기 20-20 클럽, 역대 최연소·최소 경기 30-30 클럽, 역대 두 번째 내추럴 사이클링 히트(단타부터 홈런까지 차례로 때려내는 기록) 등을 해냈다. 득점은 단일 시즌 신기록. KIA 통합 우승 주역으로 KBO 시상식 기자단 투표에선 몰표에 가까운 득표율(94.06%)로 MVP 트로피를 들어 올렸다.

MLB닷컴은 '시즌이 끝난 후에도 김도영의 타격은 멈추지 않았다. 11월 열린 프리미어12에서 대표팀에 합류, 쇼를 펼쳤다. 비록 한국은 조별리그에서 탈락했지만, 김도영의 노력이 부족한 건 아니었다. 젊은 3루수는 단 5경기에서 17타수 7안타(0.412)를 기록했다'라고 전했다.

김도영은 "난 항상 완벽을 위해 노력하는 사람이자 선수"라며 "오타니(LA 다저스)만큼 완벽하지는 않겠지만, 모든 걸 잘하고 긍정적이고 좋은 사람이 되고 싶다는 목표를 세우고 있다"라고 말했다. MLB닷컴은 김도영이 어렸을 때 하비에르 바에스(디트로이트 타이거스), 고등학교에 진학했을 때는 페르난도 타티스 주니어(샌디에이고 파드리스)를 좋아했다고 부연하기도 했다. 그러면서 운동 능력을 비롯한 여러 부분에서 타티스 주니어와 김도영을 비교해도 손색없다고 강조했다.

약점이 없는 건 아니다. 3루수 김도영은 지난 시즌 KBO리그에서 가장 많은 실책 30개를 기록했다. MLB닷컴은 '타석에서는 압도적인 모습을 보였지만, 스카우트들은 그가 수비에서 계속 노력해야 할 것으로 보고 있다'라고 전했다. 김도영은 "비시즌 나만의 훈련 체계를 만들어서 일상생활에 적용하고 있다"며 "작년에는 시즌을 앞두고 손가락 부상을 당해 준비 기간이 정말 짧았다. 올해는 건강해 시즌이 기대된다"라고 자신했다.

김도영은 올 시즌 KBO리그에서 가장 활약이 기대되는 선수다. 한국 야구를 대표하는 '간판'으로 우뚝 선 그는 "아직 내 기량은 최고가 아니라고 생각한다. 선발 라인업에 들어가고 꾸준히 경기에 출전하는 게 주요 목표"라며 "난 아직 젊기 때문에 (40-40시즌)을 달성할 수 있다고 믿는다. 다만 큰 목표는 아니다. 더 큰 목표는 우승"이라고 말했다.

김도영의 또 다른 목표는 국제대회, 2026년 예정된 월드베이스볼클래식 (WBC)이다. WBC는 프리미어12와 달리 현역 빅리거가 총출동하는 말 그대로 '별들의 잔치'이다. 해외 진출 꿈을 키울 좋은 기회가 될 전망인데 김도영은 "다가오는 WBC는 큰 목표"라며 "가장 큰 무대에서 뛰는 게 분명 저의 큰 목표다. 다시 한번 그 목표를 위해 노력하고 있다"라고 힘주어 말했다.

Korea's youngest 30-30 player has his sights set on 'perfection'

his sights set on 'perfection'
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The season couldn't have started worse. Do-yeong Kim, just 20 years old at the time, was entering his third year with the Kia Tigers of the KBO, Korea's top professional baseball league. He was coming off an 84-game season which saw him top a .300 batting average with an increase in power from his rookie season. He had been a highly touted prospect and the expectation was that even more was to come.

Two weeks into the season, though, and Kim was in a serious funk: He was hitting just .194 with just two extra base hits. Surely this wasn't the player who could be the future of the franchise?

On April 8, Kim's bat woke up: He went 4-for-5, launching a home run and driving in three runs. It was the start of a 20-game hit streak for Kim, his batting line going from meager to absurd. Once he warmed up, he didn't cool off again: The third baseman finished the year with a .347/.420/.647 slash line to go with 38 home runs and 40 stolen bases -- the youngest player in KBO history to go 30-30. (He also fell just short of becoming the second player to go 40-40 in the KBO. Former MLB star Eric Thames is the only one to do it, accomplishing the feat in 2015.)

"Stats and those things aren't really important to me, but my one goal that I wanted to achieve was hitting for average, so hitting above .300 [was important]," Kim said through MLB Korea's Sunjae Song, who translated, this offseason. "Also, I had never been a full-time starter before last season, so I just wanted to get into the starting lineup."

His breakout season culminated in Kim taking home the MVP Award.

"I heard a lot of people, even from within my team, saying to me, like, 'Hey, I knew you'd be good, but I didn't know you'd be this good this quickly,'" Kim said. "For me personally, I'm just really satisfied. I took it day by day and to see everything come to fruition at the end of the year, was really satisfying."

It wasn't just his teammates who Kim surprised: His offensive onslaught caught his parents offguard, too.

"I think they're still in shock," Kim said. "They obviously watched me play baseball all my life, and so for me to be at this stage, and being recognized [with the MVP Award], they're still coming to terms with with everything. They're still in shock."

Kim's hitting didn't stop when the season ended, either: He joined Korea's national team at the Premier12 tournament in November and put on a show for the globe. Though Korea didn't advance from the group stage, it wasn't for Kim's lack of effort. The young third baseman went 7-for-17 with three home runs in just five games.

"I'm a person and a player that's always striving for perfection," Kim said. "That could be in the baseball field, that could just be in life. I'm always striving for that. Probably not as as perfect as Ohtani, but certainly I'm setting myself a goal: I just want to be good at everything, be a good person and be positive."

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Kim first started playing baseball when he was in second grade. An energetic and extroverted child, his parents needed to find an outlet for all of that energy.

"My parents kind of forced me into the sport," Kim joked. "I joined a Little League team and it was really fun for me."

He loved watching Javier Báez when he was young, thrilling at his energetic displays on the field. When he reached high school, Fernando Tatis Jr. was the player he most loved watching. Though they play different positions, they're decent comparisons for Kim: Athletic, energetic, able to shock even the most seasoned baseball fans with dazzling highlights.

While Kim dominated at the plate, scouts think he'll need to continue to work on his defense. Last year, Kim led the KBO with 30 errors. As a perfectionist, he knows he won't be seen as a true all-around threat until he shores up his work on that side of the ball.

"I've created a training regime for myself that I'm working on during the offseason and incorporating into my daily routine before games as well," Kim said. "That's certainly helping on the defensive end. And last year, going into the season, I had a little bit of a finger injury, so I had a really truncated preparation for the season. This year, I'm fully healthy, so I'm looking forward to this season."

Kim's still young and the future is bright. He just won the MVP Award, his team taking home the Korean Series at the end of the year. It's a lot of success very early for the slugger, but he believes there is still more to come. He's not actively trying to reach the 40-40 plateau, but he has confidence in his ability to pull it off.

"I definitely believe that I'm not at my best yet. Getting into the starting lineup and being consistent every day is my main goal. I'm still young, so I believe that I can achieve [a 40-40 season]. It's just not a big focus of mine. The bigger goal for the team is to win another championship."

Do-yeong Kim watches one of his 38 home runs leave the park. Photo courtesy Kia Tigers.
Do-yeong Kim watches one of his 38 home runs leave the park. Photo courtesy Kia Tigers.
He has another goal, too. He represented Korea in the Premier12, but now has his sites set on next year's World Baseball Classic. And the Majors? If Kim wants to be the best he can be, then he wants to face the best in the world.

"The upcoming World Baseball Classic is a big goal of mine. Certainly, I'm hoping to be able to perform on that stage for the long term," Kim said. "Playing on the biggest stage is definitely a big goal of mine. So, again, I'm striving for that."