*This content was translated by AI.
There is a 19-year-old boy who was on the last train of both final training and spring camp. Will Rookie Ko Jun-hwi (19, NC Dinos) be able to solve the team's biggest weakness in center field.
Lee Ho-joon (50) NC manager met with reporters at Changwon NC Park on the 5th and said, "Three rookies will go to the spring camp." The most ever," he said, bringing up the names of infielder Shin Jae-in (19), catcher Lee Hee-sung (19), and Ko Jun-hwi.
The addition of the other two players was already decided. Manager Lee said, "(Shin) Jae-in has shown good performance since the closing camp," and Lee Hee-sung was also included to strengthen the catcher's depth due to Park Se-hyuk (36)'s transfer to the Samsung Lions. But Ko Jun-hwi was different.
Originally, Ko Jun-hwi was not on the list of spring camp (CAMP 2). NC was going to take catcher Ahn Jung-yeol (31) to camp. However, Ahn Jung-yeol's wrist condition failed to join, leaving one spot empty, and Ko Jun-hwi filled it.
Coincidentally, Ko Jun-hwi was late to the list even during the closing training (CAMP 1). He hit a batting average of 0.528 (19 hits in 36 at-bats) and two home runs in the Ulsan-KBO Fall League held last fall, and was able to win a ticket to Okinawa later.
When director Lee also mentioned this, he laughed, saying, "(Ko Jun-hwi) is lucky." He said, "I should start at the Taiwan camp I thought about it, but it became a situation, he said. "We had a video meeting of the coaching staff, and Ko Jun-hwi was unanimously talking about it." "We need to reinforce the center fielder, and Ko Jun-hwi showed good performance in the final camp with the polig. "I'm a rookie, but I think I can compete enough," he said.
Ko Jun-hwi from Jeonju High School was selected as the 32nd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 rookie draft. At the time of the nomination, Kim Hyung-joon, head of the NC Scouting Team, said of Ko Jun-hwi, "He is a batter who uses leg kicks to actively swing at the batter's box. "Even with strong swings, the upper and lower body centers are stable, and based on excellent contact ability, we have the advantage of making in-play balls through breaking ball response or approach hitting for each course."
Ko Joon-hwi instantly attracted attention by swinging hard at the Polyg last year, when he did not even graduate from high school. Although the MVP of the competition went to Shin Jae-in, the same class who swung a hard hit in the final, Ko Jun-hwi played the most consistently throughout the competition.
In response, Ko Jun-hwi is also mentioned as a candidate to fill the center fielder position of Choi Won-joon, who left for KT Wiz on the condition of four years and 4.8 billion won. With seniors such as Chun Jae-hwan (32), Choi Jung-won (26), and Park Si-won (25), waiting, will a rookie player be able to overtake them and take a place.
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*This content was translated by AI.
