A batting average of 0.556 → a home run explosion in the first inning of the first inning of the KBO hit, and Shin Jae-in, "No. 2 overall," smells like Park Min-woo [KBO Exhibition Game Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

There are Kim Hyung-joon and Kim Joo-won, who played in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) as national teams, but the NC Dinos' new rookie reminds me of Park Min-woo (34), a natural teaching hitter from the beginning of the exhibition game.

Shin Jae-in (19) started as the first batter and first baseman in the 2026 KBO exhibition game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Masan Stadium on the 14th, and led his team to an 8-6 victory in the bottom of the first inning by swinging two hits, one RBI and two runs from four times at bat, including the first homer for the first batter.

NC, which had the second pick in the first round of the 2026 rookie draft, chose Yushin High School infielder Shin Jae-in, defying everyone's expectations. Even though there were numerous pitchers, NC's choice was infielder Shin Jae-in.

It was evaluated that the swing mechanism was not insufficient compared to the first-team players right away. In Yushin High School last year, NC risked its fate as a rookie farming for Shin Jae-in, who had a batting average of 0.337 (31 hits in 92 times at bat), four homers, 30 RBIs and 13 steals in 26 games, and OPS (On base rate + slugging rate) of 1.050.

NC, which quickly strengthened its power since its foundation and won the championship in 2020, has not many fielders who have grown into top-ranked players in the league by raising themselves. Park Min-woo in the first round in 2012, Kim Hyung-joon, who was nominated in the second round in 2018, and Kim Joo-won, who was recruited in the second round again three years later.

Nevertheless, NC boldly chose Shin Jae-in while looking at "Post Park Min-woo" and offered a down payment of 250 million won and an additional option of 100 million won. There was an expectation that he was a player who had a lot to show from the first season.

Shin Jae-in, who accompanied him to the spring camp following the closing camp, aimed to survive in the first division, but properly impressed head coach Lee Ho-joon and has a batting average of 0.556 (5 hits in 9 at-bats), one homer, two RBIs and four runs, an on-base percentage of 0.600, a slugging percentage of 1.111 and an OPS of 1.711 in three exhibition games.

Shin Jae-in, who appeared splendidly as a multi-base hit with a double and a walk in the opening game of the exhibition game against LG on the 12th, played 2 hits and 1 RBI in 2 at-bats against LG on the 13th.

On this day, he worked from his first at-bat in the first inning. Last year, Chung Hyun-woo, the No. 1 rookie in total, boldly swung the bat at the fastball of 141 kilometers per hour at the first pitch, and the ball became the first solo shot to go behind left field. The first home run of the first batter in the first inning is the sixth record in KBO exhibition games.

There was no hesitation in the bottom of the third inning when the team led 2-0. This time again, he aimed for Chung Hyeon-woo's first pitch. He hit a 140km/h high fastball that was far out of the zone, and the ball dug to second base toward left field. Shin Jae-in, who headed to third base when Oh Jang-han hit a grounder to second base, headed home when Seo Ho-chul's two-run timely hit after Kwon Hee-dong's body hit and Kim Hwi-jip's walk.

He hit Park Yoon-sung's curveball to fly to right field in the fourth inning and retired with a fly ball to third baseman against Park Joo-sung in the sixth inning, but he contributed to the team's victory and jumped to No. 1 in the batting average.

Coach Lee Ho-joon smiled. According to NC, coach Lee praised after the game, "Shin Jae-in has continued to help the team attack in good form recently."

Shin Jae-in also expressed satisfaction. "It's a trial game, but I'm happy to create a good atmosphere with the team's first win. In the previous two exhibition games against LG, I tried to play long after seeing a lot of balls at bat, but today I went to bat with the mindset of aiming for an early count, he said. "Unlike yesterday's game, the pull-hit left-handed hit showed good results, but I think it's a good sign that good hits are coming out in various directions, so I think it's a good sign." I will do my best to show good performance in the upcoming games," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.