*This content was translated by AI.
Fans are paying keen attention to whether Hanwha Eagles rookie Oh Jae-won (19) will be able to make his debut in the first division as a center fielder in the 2026 season.
Hanwha, which took the stage in the Korean Series for the first time in 19 years since 2006, made a bold choice in the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. Right-handers such as Bukil High School Park Joon-hyun (19, Keum Heroes), Gyeonggi Air High School Yang Woo-jin (19, LG Twins), Incheon Dongsan High School Shin Dong-gun (19, Lotte Giants), and Daegu High School Kim Min-joon (19, SSG Landers) showed strong performance in the rookie draft.
However, there was some commotion at the scene as the No. 2 NC Dinos picked Shin Jae-in (19), a Yushin infielder, and even the No. 3 Hanwha picked Oh Jae-won, a Yushin outfielder. In a small number of KBO scouts, both Shin Jae-in and Oh Jae-won were selected as the only two fielders who threatened the right-hander Big 5, but they responded that they didn't know they would actually choose.
In response, the Hanwha team said, "In line with the recent trend of modern baseball, where the importance of center field is increasing, we appointed outfielder Oh Jae-won, a high-profile outfielder with fast feet, wide defense range, and excellent contact ability, in the first round."
Hanwha's first-team roster convinced him why he chose Oh Jae-won. Luis Liberato, who played as a center fielder, was uncertain to renew his contract. Lee Jin-young and Lee Won-seok, who are active as backup, have yet to show faith, so it was evaluated that Oh Jae-won was excellent to choose as a "long-term resource."
In addition, the fact that Park Hae-min and Choi Won-joon, who had the best center fielder defense in the active KBO in the FA market after the season, were released also made the situation optimistic. However, as Park Hae-min chose to stay at LG and Choi Won-joon chose to transfer to KT Wiz, fans' expectations began to go against them.
In addition, anxiety intensified again when foreign batters were replaced by Jonathan Peraza, who showed an unstable corner outfield defense in Hanwha two years ago. This is because left fielder Moon Hyun-soo also played his first full-time season as an outfielder, so the center fielder was required to have a higher level.
Fortunately, KBO officials' view of Oh Jae-won is positive. Scouts from KBO clubs other than Hanwha also saw the defense as immediate and powerful. At the time of the nomination, a KBO club official told Star News, "It's rare to see a center fielder who is as good in many ways as Oh Jae-won. "I have a good batting judgment on my shoulders that can play center field in the professional league and I have a wide range of defense," he said.
Scouts also dismissed concerns about Oh Jae-won's anxiety over his throw through a video of last year's Yu Shin-go game. Rather, he predicted that he could become "Little Park Hae-min" based on his accurate throwing ability in defense sense. Another KBO club scout B pointed out coolly, "I personally don't think Oh Jae-won is as strong as I thought," but added, "In fact, the range of defense is more important than the shoulders of the center fielder. It can be considered similar to Park Hae-min. That's how sensible he is and the accuracy of his throwing is good."
Young eagles are also fully aware of the expectations and interests they have for themselves. However, Oh Jae-won, who has received attention from Major League scouts since his first year of high school, is familiar with the pressure. Rather, he recorded a batting average of 0.385 or higher for three years, finishing his high school career batting average of 0.420. Based on his outstanding performance, he also won the Star Award in baseball at the "2025 Futures Star Awards" last year.
"My best strength is speed and defense range," Oh Jae-won said after the 2026 KBO rookie orientation at the Daejeon Convention Center on the 14th. "There are already many good seniors in the center field, including (Lee) Won-seok and Lee Jin-young. Still, I will learn a lot from my seniors and compete this season," he said, expressing his strong ambition.
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*This content was translated by AI.
