"My dream is you, Moon Hyun-bin." The bold Hanwha Round 1, "The goal of 'New King + 100 hits + Survival of the 1st Army'" Oh Jae-won said, "I will take everything away"

*This content was translated by AI.

There are already rookies seeking the main position. Oh Jae-won (19), a first-round rookie of the Hanwha Eagles. Expectations are high on whether the defense can be the last puzzle for Hanwha's weak outfield.

Oh Jae-won accompanied Hanwha on its way to the first spring camp in Melbourne, Australia, via Incheon International Airport on the 23rd. It is not just a dimension to instill experience while watching the potential of a rookie. It is expected to be a stage to confirm its potential as a key center fielder.

Hanwha brought in foreign hitter Jonathan Peraza after the end of last season. With Moon Hyun-bin, who has grown into a national team player, he is expected to take a spot in the corner outfield. The bat has been further strengthened to Kang Baek-ho, who was recruited for up to 10 billion won for four years to strengthen the lineup, but the problem is defense.

Kang Baek-ho said he packed first baseman mitts and two defensive gloves in the outfield ahead of this spring camp. Even Moon Hyun-bin and Perazae Kang Baek-ho, who were former infielders, can play in the outfield, making the role of center field more important.

Lee Won-seok was the most active center fielder of Hanwha last year except for foreign players, but only 36 times and 20 times as a starter, so the current center fielder position is Muju Gongsan. Therefore, more expectations are drawn to Oh Jae-won.

Oh Jae-won played in 30 high school league games last year and posted a batting average of 0.438 (46 hits in 105 at-bats), one homer, 14 RBIs, 21 walks, 32 steals, and an OPS (On base rate + slugging rate) of 1.195. Hanwha, whose main position was in urgent need of reinforcing the outfield as a center fielder, chose Oh Jae-won without hesitation as the third overall pick in the first round of the 2026 rookie draft. The down payment of 270 million won represents high expectations for him. Moon Hyun-bin, who was selected as the 11th overall pick in the second round of 2023, had a down payment of 150 million won.

With his outstanding high school performance, he won the Star Award in baseball at the 2025 Futures Star Awards hosted by Star News in November last year. The winner selection committee said, "It is the highest among amateur outfielders. It is an immediate sense of power with a weak physique and excellent center line resources for offense and defense," he said, adding, "It can be used as a pinch runner and logistical cost even at the professional level. He has good eye contact and ability. He also has excellent batting judgment skills."

At the time, Oh Jae-won said, "I want to hit 100 hits as a rookie. I want to win the Rookie of the Year, but no matter how good I am, I can't do it if there are players who are better than me. "I can't control that," he said, expressing his intention to use his senior team as a role model, saying, "Of course, I have such a goal, and personally my goal is to hit 100 hits as a rookie set by (Moon) Hyun-bin."

Oh Jae-won, who headed to the first-team camp as a rookie, met with reporters at the airport and said, "I'm so honored to follow the camp and it's a place where I can show myself," adding, "I'll go and show everything I can to compete this year."

The defense is full of confidence. At the time of the rookie draft, an official from the KBO club told Star News, "It's rare to see a center fielder who is as good in many ways as Oh Jae-won. He even praised his shoulder, which can play center field in the professional league, for his good batting judgment and wide range of defense.

When asked what he could appeal to compete as a key center fielder, Oh Jae-won said, "I think it's defense ability and speed. There are a lot of strong seniors in Hanwha, and I think we should set the concept well toward fast and good contact and defense like (Lee) Won-seok," he said.

In batting, there are some of the best seniors in the league, including Noh Si-hwan, Moon Hyun-bin, and Kang Baek-ho. He is determined to become a camp that absorbs as much as possible. Oh Jae-won said, "There are so many seniors who are good at hitting bats, so I want to take everything I can take away from them," adding, "There are so many amazing seniors, so if I have a chance to get close to them, I want to get to know them quickly and gradually adjust to the team."

Moon Hyun-bin, a role model for Oh Jae-won, gave a thumbs-up to Oh Jae-won. "I think Jaewon is better than when I was a rookie, so I have nothing to say," he said. "I trained with him once, and if Jaewon asks me anything, I'll try to answer him well. I think he will do better than me," he said.

In response to Moon Hyun-bin's compliment, Oh Jae-won said, "I looked for Hyun-bin's videos a lot when he was a rookie, and he's so good," adding, "We have to work hard to keep up with him." Hyun Bin's ability and effort are so good, and I think I should go to the camp and take away a lot of his hitting ability."

Another goal was also created in Moon Hyun-bin's record of 100 hits as a rookie. Oh Jae-won said, "If there are many goals like chapters, we are getting motivated as we continue," adding, "The goal is to make 100 hits, and to be in the first team during the season." I hope you don't get hurt and keep catching it whenever you get a chance. That's the biggest goal. Of course, the Rookie of the Year is my final goal, and I hope I can reach my final goal as I gradually achieve my goal," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.