"It was hidden by Jae-in and Oh Jae-won."" KT's rookie shortstop, who hit four times, 'demonstrated his ability' and two hits and one home run to the Australian professional team! 60,000 people watched

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz rookie shortstop Lee Kang-min (18) caught the attention of fans with his batting, not his strength of defense.

KT won 8-7 in a practice game against Melbourne Aces at Geelong Baseball Center in Geelong, Australia on the 16th (Korea Standard Time).

Melbourne had two wins and one draw in three consecutive games against the Hanwha Eagles, which was a formidable opponent. The most impressive performance at bat was infielder Lee Kang-min, who was named in the second round of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft. Considering the scouts' evaluation after the nomination, Lee Kang-min had a strong defense, but the KT scout team also saw high batting potential.

In fact, Lee Kang-min occasionally played as the fourth batter in his third year of Yoo Shin-go, hitting 0.351 (33 hits in 94 at-bats), one home run, 18 RBIs, 23 runs and 7 steals, 16 strikeouts on 16 walks, and a 0.465 slugging percentage of 0.500 in 28 regular games.

However, there was a little overshadowed by the popularity of his friends Shin Jae-in (19, NC Dinos) and Oh Jae-won (19, Hanwha Eagles), who had been receiving attention from Major League Baseball since their first grade. Shin Jae-in and Oh Jae-won proved their fame by entering the professional league as No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the first round of the 2026 KBO Rookie Draft.

Lee Chung-moo, head of KT's scout team, told Star News, "We need to develop a little more from the strike," but added, "In fact, (Lee) Kang-min was a little hidden by Shin Jae-in and Oh Jae-won in high school. However, it was Kangmin who always had an RBI when he was critical as the fourth batter. He explained, "My body is stronger and stronger than my body size, so I know how to put weight on it."

It was a game that gave us a glimpse of its potential. Lee Kang-min, who started as shortstop and second batter, drew attention by contributing to the team throughout the at-bat. In the first at-bat of the first inning, he successfully performed a sending bunt, and in the second inning, he hit the outside ball to make a hit.

KT led 7-5 at the bottom of the sixth inning. Lee Kang-min, who came out as the leadoff hitter, calmly endured the outer manned ball even when he was driven to two strikes on the opponent's breaking ball. And when the ensuing slider was concentrated in the middle, he turned his bat without hesitation and crossed the left fence wide. According to the KT team, about 61,000 fans watched the game live online through KT's YouTube as well as 500 spectators gathered at Geelong Baseball Stadium. He showed his star quality in front of his fans.

Commentator Yoon Hee-sang, who watched the broadcast, exclaimed, "With this bat skill, I think I can just practice defense," and added, "Lee Kang-min's home run will certainly be imprinted in my mind today. There seems to be a reason why he was nominated in the second round," he praised. KT manager Lee Kang-chul also said, "It was a game where I felt the team depth improved overall. I'm encouraged that young players seem to be growing fast," he said.

There was one error in defense, but it was difficult to evaluate because many balls did not come. However, he is a rookie with this in mind. Lee Kang-min said through the club after the game, "It was a game with a lot of luck. I was lucky to have a home run, but I want to think more about how to compensate for my defensive mistakes than just care about what I did well," he said.

"The director also said that mistakes must be made in advance to compensate for them. I will try to show you better performance during the rest of the camp," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.