Kim Seong-yoon

{{Short description|South Korean baseball player (born 1999)}}

{{For|South Korean television director|Kim Seong-yoon (director)}}

{{family name hatnote|Kim||lang=Korean}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Kim Jeong-yoon

| image =

| image_size =

| team = Samsung Lions

| number = 39

| position = Outfielder

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|2|2}}

| birth_place = South Korea

| death_date =

| death_place =

| bats = Left

| throws = Left

| debutleague = KBO

| debutdate = June 4

| debutyear = 2017

| debutteam = Samsung Lions

| statyear = June 29, 2025

| statleague = KBO

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .300

| stat3label = Home runs

| stat3value = 6

| stat4label = Runs batted in

| stat4value = 69

| teams =

| highlights =

| update =

| medaltemplates =

}}

{{Infobox Korean name/auto

|hangul = %김성윤

|hanja = 金盛閏

}}

Kim Seong-yoon (also transliterated as Kim Sung-yoon, born February 2, 1999) is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder for the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. At {{height|ft=5|in=4}}, he over-took Kim Sun-bin of Kia Tigers, who stands at {{height|ft=5|in=5}}, to be the shortest player in the KBO when he debuted for the Lions in 2017. He is 4 in (20 cm) shorter than the average players in KBO and tied with Daichi Mizuguchi of Seibu Lions to be the shortest among Major League Baseball (MLB), Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and KBO players.{{Cite web|title=Baseball's shortest players stand tall|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2017/06/22/Baseball/Baseballs-shortest-players-stand-tall/3034957.html|website=Korea JoongAng Daily|language=en|access-date=2020-05-08}}{{Cite web|title=Diminutive hitter chasing elusive .400 batting average|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170818000322|date=2017-08-18|website=The Korea Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-05-08}} In 2020, Kim was joined by fellow Samsung Lions second baseman Kim Ji-chan, who also stands at {{height|ft=5|in=4}}.{{Cite web|title=KBO Officially Has its Own Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve|url=https://www.12up.com/posts/kbo-officially-has-its-own-aaron-judge-and-jose-altuve-01e98nzb6dsx|website=12up.com|access-date=2020-05-26}}

Career

= Samsung Lions =

Kim joined the Samsung Lions as a fourth round, 39th overall draft pick in 2017,{{Cite web|title=Kim Sung-yoon KBO League Batting Stats - Samsung Lions|url=http://mykbostats.com/players/1525-Kim-Sung-yoon-Samsung-Lions|access-date=2020-08-11|website=MyKBO Stats|language=en}} right after graduating from Posco High School.{{Cite web|date=2017-06-08|title=Shortest player in Korean baseball focusing on strengths|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170608000537|access-date=2020-05-08|website=The Korea Herald|language=en}} In his sixth KBO game, against the SK Wyverns, Kim hit a two-run home run despite never hitting any home run in his high school career.{{Cite web|title=Shortest player in KBO history revives his Middle School baseball program|url=https://www.wbsc.org/news/shortest-player-in-kbo-history-revives-his-middle-school-baseball-program|website=wbsc.org|language=en|access-date=2020-05-08}}

In 2023, he had a career-high batting average of .314 and 18 steals.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-21 |title=Korean baseball team replaces 2 injured players |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sports/2023/11/829_359752.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=The Korea Times |language=en}}

= International =

Kim appeared in six baseball contests during the 2022 Asian Games, batting .222/.278/.333 in 18 at-bats, and winning a gold medal for South Korea.{{cite news |title=KIM Seongyoon |url=https://www.wbscasia.org/en/events/xix-asian-games-2022-mens-baseball/teams/27948/players/339328 |access-date=4 February 2024 |publisher=World Baseball Softball Confederation Asia}}

References

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