*This content was translated by AI.
Lotte Giants right-handed slugger Han Dong-hee (27) finally returns and enters the 2026 season with the goal of 30 home runs for the season.
Han Dong-hee said in an interview with reporters before leaving for Tainan, Taiwan, where the 2026 Lotte Spring Camp will be held through Gimhae International Airport on the 25th. "I'm out of my mind," he said, expressing his feelings about the camp leaving after a long time.
It is the comeback of the fourth batter that Lotte fans have been waiting for the last two years. Han Dong-hee is a right-handed infielder who joined Lotte as the first designation of the 2018 KBO Rookie Draft after graduating from Busan National University, Gyeongnam Middle School, and Gyeongnam High School. His long shot with both sophistication and power drew much attention as the successor of Lee Dae-ho (44), a senior player at Kyungnam High School and Lotte.
The professional stage was not easy. After joining the team, he hit only 0.262 with 59 home runs and 0.731, an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) for seven seasons. He also recorded double-digit home runs for three consecutive seasons from 2020 to 2022, but failed to peel off one of them. In the end, he first fulfilled his military duty through the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangmu).
And that decision has become the best option for now. Han Dong-hee, who hit 11 home runs with a batting average of 0.323 (51 hits in 158 at-bats) in his first year of Sangmu, virtually conquered the Futures League last year. He had a batting average of 0.400 (154 hits in 385 at-bats) in 100 regular-season games, 27 homers, 115 RBIs and 107 runs, and an on-base percentage of 0.480 slugging percentage of 0.675 OPS of 1.155. Above all, it was encouraging that there was a clear performance in detailed indicators with 63 pitches (56 walks and 7 balls).
Han Dong-hee said, "I really took a lot of practice from the stage. (I)I always stayed with Jaewon and talked about anything that was blocked, so it worked out well. He smiled and said, "Let's do well when we are discharged from the military."
In early January, I went to Tsukuba University in Japan to study for a short time. Tsukuba University made headlines by analyzing Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers) mechanism, and Ko Seung-min and Na Seung-yeop were helped last year.
Han Dong-hee said, "I heard from (B) Seung-yeop or (Go) Seung-min at Tsukuba University, and it helped me a lot. "It was good to take a lot of exercise in areas that were weak in terms of flexibility or hip hinge, as well as conditioning programs," he explained. "In this camp, I will try to balance and work hard on what I have hit so far and what I have learned at Tsukuba University. I don't have a separate target figure, and if my team goes to fall baseball, I think my personal performance will follow," he added.
Last year, Lotte realized its absence by ranking last in the team's home run league (75) and eighth in slugging percentage (0.372). As such, the return of Han Dong-hee, who showed promise in the first team and returned after organizing the Futures League, is expected as much as the recruitment of a large FA.
On the contrary, it also means that the player is under that much pressure. However, Han Dong-hee, who has matured over the past two years, rather said to Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung, "I will hit more than 30 home runs" after being discharged from the military. In response, Han Dong-hee said, "Shouldn't we hit (30 home runs) now?" with a smile. At the same time, it is true that it is a burden if you think it is a burden (on the pouring expectations). But while playing baseball, I have never done it without burden. So it's the same. I'm going to hit it first," he said again.
It is Han Dong-hee, who has already started her professional career with the heavy burden of "the second Lee Dae-ho" from the time of Lotte's nomination. Kyungnam High School coach Jeon Kwang-yeol is a teacher who has watched his student for a long time who has been silently trying to overcome the burden. Coach Jeon Kwang-yeol, who met with Star News a day later at Kyungnam High School, heard his student's determination and said, "It's not easy to be the second Lee Dae-ho." (ii)You have to show as much as Daeho. However, he lamented, "How can that be..." but added, "(Han) Dong-hee is that kind of kid. a very nice and sincere child. I will do well," he said.
Lotte fans, who had been waiting, also left a calm but confident ambition. Han Dong-hee said, "I was grateful that Lotte fans supported me a lot even while I was in the military. After being discharged from the military, he cheered for me whenever I went to Sajik Baseball Stadium. "I told my fans (such fans) that I would go to fall baseball every year, but I am sorry that I have never protected them before," he said.
He said, "I will try to achieve the results that fans want this year somehow. Our team's goal this year is fall baseball. We can look more up there, but the first thing is to go to autumn baseball first, he stressed.
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*This content was translated by AI.
