"If you take him out of a scoring situation, he'd be disappointed." 19-year-old high school graduate rookie repaid Lee Kang-cheol's trust with a .400 batting average in scoring situations

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz high school graduate rookie Lee Kang-min (19) has now been summoned alongside Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man (50) and MLB shortstop Kim Ha-seong (31, Atlanta Braves).

On the 22nd, Lee Kang-min started at the ninth spot and as shortstop in a home game against KIA Tigers at the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season held at Suwon KT Wiz Park. He went 1-for-4 with two RBIs, one strikeout, and one run, leading KT to an 8-3 victory.

His only hit came at the most critical moment. With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, two outs, and bases loaded, Lee Kang-min crushed pitcher Jo Sang-woo's first pitch, sending a two-run single that dropped softly into left field. That run proved to be the game-winning hit as it held until the end of the game.

As the manager had praised before the game, Lee Kang-cheol (60), KT's manager, said, "Lee Kang-min has talent with the bat. He hits with great power. I think he'll continue to do well." Lee demonstrated his presence by hitting timely hits in scoring situations for two consecutive days. The day before (21st), he went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and one strikeout, helping KT secure a 6-5 victory.

Regarding the secret to his success, Manager Lee Kang-cheol smiled, saying, "Recently, opposing pitchers have been throwing breaking balls to Lee Kang-min. They don't give him fastballs. It seems he has figured that out himself." He continued, "Yesterday (21st), the ball also dropped in the corner. At first, he seemed a bit taken aback, but when he saw them trying to attack him too much with breaking balls, he decided to target them. If he hadn't targeted them, it wouldn't have been an easy hit."

Despite being a rookie just stepping onto the professional stage, Lee Kang-min boasts a .400 batting average in scoring situations. In fact, he gets stronger as more runners accumulate. As of the 22nd game, his batting average with no runners on base is .121, but with the bases loaded, it rises to .500.

Regarding the secret to his success, the manager pointed to Lee Kang-min's exceptional mindset. Manager Lee Kang-cheol said, "In the early part of the season, Lee Kang-min had a one-out, bases-loaded, full-count situation where he swung and missed at a high pitch for a strikeout. It's not easy for a rookie to do that. Seeing that, I thought, 'This kid is different.'" He added with a smile, "His face doesn't change even in scoring situations. In fact, if you take him out of a scoring situation, he gets disappointed. There are players who remain strong in the same situations. Kim Ha-seong was like that before. Kim Ha-seong was bold, and those kinds of players definitely do well. Lee Kang-min is introverted and somewhat shy, but he quietly gets things done."

As a result, despite being a rookie and a shortstop, Lee Kang-min has played in all 21 games so far. Manager Lee Kang-cheol praised him, saying, "I should rest him a bit due to his stamina, but it would be a shame to take him out. We have been giving him a break of one or two innings in the middle. It feels like he's already become a regular starter."

Lee Kang-min is simply grateful for the manager's consideration. After the game, when he met with reporters, Lee Kang-min said, "I failed to capitalize on the opportunities in my first two at-bats, but the manager trusted me until the very end and let me stay in the game. Thanks to that, I got a chance to hit. I'm so grateful. I think I'm enjoying the scoring situations more and stepping up mentally, which is leading to good results." He smiled.

He continued, "The fact that opponents are trying to hold me back is really pleasant and even fun. If they don't throw fastballs, I can hit breaking balls. I'm confident hitting fastballs, so I'm approaching the game that way. The manager has done a great job managing my physical condition, and I'm grateful for that. Since it's my first season, I'll give it my all."

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*This content was translated by AI.