*This content was translated by AI.
A 12-year veteran, Jeon Byeong-woo (34·Samsung Lions), who played for Lotte Giants and Kiwoom Heroes but has been a perennial backup player, is enjoying the hottest spring of his career.
Jeon Byeong-woo was selected as the seventh hitter and third baseman for Hanwha Eagles' 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark on the 16th, where he performed brilliantly with 2 hits in 3 at-bats, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run.
With the starting third baseman spot filled by Jeon Byeong-woo due to an injury to left-handed power hitter and third baseman Kim Young-woong, Jeon has been performing exceptionally well in 10 games with a batting average of 0.407 (11 hits in 27 at-bats), 7 RBIs, 7 runs scored, an on-base percentage of 0.515, a slugging percentage of 0.481, and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 0.996. His batting average with runners in scoring position is an impressive 0.455.
On the 15th, in Gyeonggi, a player hit a two-run double in the top of the first inning and a two-run single in the fifth inning, leading the team to victory. Before the game, Manager Park Jin-man said, "It is thanks to the well-prepared backup players who have been performing like starters that we have been able to maintain a good atmosphere even with Kim Sung-yoon, Ku Ja-guk, and Kim Young-woong missing from the lineup. When those players return, the team will become even stronger. That will give the players a sense of competition."
Luck was also on his side. In the second inning, he reached base on a fielding error by the second baseman and advanced to second base, later scoring the first run on an RBI single by Lee Jae-hyun.
In the third inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, he hit a double and drove in a run. In the fifth inning, he recorded another hit to achieve a multi-hit game. Jeon Byeong-woo reached base in every at-bat, drawing a hit-by-pitch in the seventh inning and a walk in the ninth.
After the game, manager Park Jin-man praised the lineup, stating, "In the batting order, Lee Jae-hyun and Jeon Byeong-woo gave up RBI hits to Furado early in the game, but thanks to the lower-order batters opening the way, it seems Furado was able to exert more power."
Continuing to swing the bat with great force, Jeon Byeong-hoo met with reporters after the game and shared his thoughts, saying, "Continuing to play has created more opportunities, leading to good hits, but I also got lucky hits, which made me feel good."
He has prepared for more than 10 seasons and prepared in the same way ahead of this season. "Rather than bringing about changes, I had good memories from the latter half of last year, so I thought a lot and practiced since the off-season, and it seems to have continued well until now," he explained.
After playing for Kaesong and Dong-A University, Jeon Byeong-woo joined the Lotte Giants in the 2015 rookie draft as the 28th overall pick in the second round, third round. He performed as a regular player for three seasons with Kiwoom but focused on a backup role in other years. Even after moving to Samsung in 2024, he failed to appear in more than 60 games for two consecutive years. In a team filled with players earning over 100 million won, his salary of 900 million won reflects his standing up to this point.
Therefore, while the opportunity that arrived early in the season is welcome, he is striving to maintain his composure. Jeon Byeong-woo said, "Rather than calling it an opportunity, I am trying to do my best in every game. 'I don't know what will happen if (Kim) Young-woong comes, but rather than focusing on competition, I am trying to concentrate more on what I can do.'"
With 28 home runs in 2024 and 22 last year, Kim Young-woong has emerged as a power-hitting resource and anchored Samsung's third base, yet he struggled with a batting average of 0.171 (7 hits in 41 at-bats) prior to his injury. Even upon his return, he will need time to regain his form, and there is no guarantee he will quickly recover his hitting touch. This season, the need for Byung-woo Jeon's performance is more urgent than ever.
Recently, consecutive hits have been forcing opponents into errors, and lucky hits have also been occurring. Jeon Byeong-woo said, "I feel good whenever I get a hit, but I feel even better and more uplifted when I get a lucky hit. It seems like they know I've worked hard and are helping me out," while adding, "However, I am thinking and preparing to always do the same thing rather than trying to change."
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*This content was translated by AI.
