CHANGWON, South Korea — NC Dinos outfielder Park Kun-woo has shown a significant upturn in his batting performance during the current postseason, diverging from his previous playoff experiences in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
The 33-year-old entered the postseason with the NC Dinos with a less-than-impressive career postseason average of .206 in 55 games from 2015 to 2021 while playing for the Doosan Bears. This was notably lower than his .326 average during regular seasons. This postseason, however, Park has achieved a .393 batting average (11-for-28) over seven games, marking a stark improvement in his offensive output.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Park, the key to his success has been to focus on the present rather than dwell on his past postseason performances. Speaking on Friday, Park emphasized his approach to concentrate on immediate improvements and future games rather than his historical statistics.
Park's achievement is made even more noteworthy by the fact that he has been dealing with the flu throughout the postseason, opting not to take medication to avoid any potential doping violations. Despite his illness, Park leads his team in hits, RBIs, doubles, and total bases in the series against KT Wiz.
Having signed with the NC Dinos in December 2021, Park is now approaching a pivotal win that could send his team to the Korean Series, something he experienced annually with the Doosan Bears from 2015 to 2021, securing three championships during that tenure. He expressed a deep appreciation for the unique atmosphere of the Korean Series and his eagerness to participate in the championship games at his home stadium.