The forgotten 148km first-year left-hander → Lee Do-ryu returned, Daegu High School Lee Hyun-min said, "I've read a lot and regained my confidence" [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Hyun-min (18), a combination of Daegu high school pitching and batting, who decided to read, predicted a different third-year season.

When he entered high school in Daegu, Lee Hyun-min was evaluated as the best prospect in the Gyeongsang region. In 2023, the graduating class, he won the bronze medal at the 11th U-15 (under 15) Asian Youth Baseball Tournament (under 15) along with Ha Hyun-seung (18, Busan High School) and Seol Jae-min (18, Deoksu High School). A scout from a KBO club told Star News, "Lee Hyun-min received better reviews than Ha Hyun-seung when he was in middle school." Director Park Gye-won of Busan High School also admitted, "Lee Hyun-min was the best in Gyeongsang Province when he was in middle school."

However, after going to high school, Lee Hyun-min's name was little forgotten. Pitcher and batter were played at the same time, but the results did not come out. He played only eight games as a batter in both the first and second grades, batting average of 0.267 (4 hits in 15 at-bats) and OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.667. As a pitcher, he was also poor with a 6.00 ERA in 12 games and 11 walks and 13 strikeouts in 12 innings. The occasional elbow pain also shook the young prospect's heart.

It was the first ordeal of a baseball boy who went to Daegu Samsung Lions Park with his parents on Children's Day and developed his dream while watching Koo Ja-wook (33). Lee Hyun-min, who recently met with Star News at Daegu High School's ballpark, said, "I've been given a chance in earnest since the second grade, and it was hard for my ball to hit. I calmly looked back on last year because it was my first time feeling it while playing baseball.

Daegu High School coach Son Kyung-ho (60) and coaches focused on the growth of prospects younger than their immediate performance. Rather than letting him take the mound recklessly, he took care of his mind through training. Lee Hyun-min said, "Honestly, it was hard. Still, the coaches helped me a lot when they told me to focus a little more on the process," he said. He continued, "I read a lot of books. Among them, the book "You're the one who does everything in the end" helped a lot. It hit me the most when I said that it was the most important thing to move at my own speed without following others' speed. Thanks to this, I have found confidence now," he added.

As a result, the top junior high school prospect had already thrown a fast ball of 144km/h in the cold January. It did not reach the maximum speed of 148 kilometers per hour in the first grade, but the pace is definitely faster than last year, when he threw 146 kilometers.

This year, he will return to the batter's box as an outfielder as well as a pitcher. Lee Do-ryu leads the central lineup with Seo Dong-wan (18) and Lee Kun-hee (19) and Kim Min-chan (19) and occasionally makes a left-hander must-win group. Although the Daegu High School lineup is relatively weak this year, there is a belief that Lee Hyun-min's confidence has risen. He is often batting fourth in the recent Winter League. Manager Son Kyung-ho also said, "We say pitchers are good this year, but the top batting line with Lee Hyun-min is not bad."

Lee Hyun-min said, "At the moment, I am a little more confident and have a heart for the pitcher. However, it is difficult to do both in a professional program, and I wanted to do so far," he said. "Right now, the training itself is doing a lot of fielders' schedules. The pitcher added, "I'm making my own routine by watching Yamamoto Yoshinobu and Ohtani Shohei of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are role models."

KBO scouts are also curious about Lee Hyun-min's changed 2026 season. Lee Hyun-min's presence cannot be ignored in raising interest in Daegu High School along with Cho Yong-joon (19) and Ma Jin-hyuk (18), who are considered first-round candidates in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft to be held later this year.

The left-hander who throws changeups, sliders, and curves leisurely on a fast fastball of up to 148 kilometers per hour is bound to be attractive. In particular, fastballs with movement and changeups that attract swings and misses to right-handed hitters are considered the best strengths. KBO scout A said, "Lee Hyun-min is not the type to overwhelm batters with ball power, but he is a good player with good control of the game. In particular, he has a good ability to use breaking balls."

Based on the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA), he is 181cm tall and weighs 85kg, and his small size as a pitcher is also a task that Lee Hyun-min has to overcome. The reason why his rivals Ha Hyun-seung and his joy and sorrow in middle school were mixed was that his physical growth stopped. KBO Scout A, who positively evaluated Lee Hyun-min, predicted, "I'm not tall, but I think the evaluation will vary from team to team depending on how I see the growth potential."

However, there is also a view that there is no need to recklessly view the small size negatively. It is said that there are also a number of prospects who have chosen a large size and have a high growth potential, but have disappeared silently. Even a small-sized prospect should be recognized by itself if he throws a fast ball without forcing him to squeeze it. Another KBO club official, B, said, "I don't think being short doesn't mean you have a high risk of injury and low growth potential. A 180cm tall player throws more than 150km/h, but you're not going to pull it out. That should be acknowledged in itself. There are already many success stories," he stressed.

With expectations and concerns, he goes back to the actual stage. Lee Hyun-min said, "The first goal this year is to win Daegu High School. Since I played an important role in the team, I want to do well and go to the professional league with the victory, he said. "It would be nice if you could call me anywhere. If I go, I want to meet Hong Chang-ki and Kim Do-young. "Both of you represent the KBO league and have good contacts, so I really want to play against them," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.