"Isn't this a temporary seat?" Even the status of a 23-year-old national team power hitter is shaken; the "Lotte→Kiwoom→Samsung" 34-year-old journeyman's butterfly effect

*This content was translated by AI.

The powerful bat of a late-blooming veteran, facing his first free agency in his career, is also threatening the status of a promising young power hitter who is a future national team representative.

Samsung's Jeon Byeong-woo, a right-handed batter who bats right-handed, graduated from Dongsam Elementary, Gyeongnam Middle, Gaeseong High, and Dong-A University before being selected by Lotte Giants in the second round of the 2015 KBO Rookie Draft as the 28th overall pick. He made his debut with Lotte in 2018 after completing his military service but did not shine significantly, and was traded to Kiwoom Heroes in 2020, marking a turning point in his career.

With Kiwoom, he appeared in games more steadily. However, aside from occasional long hits, he did not show significant improvement in either offense or defense. As his role diminished year after year, he joined Samsung through the 2023 KBO Secondary Draft following the end of the 2023 season.

Even with Samsung, Jeon Byeong-woo's role did not change significantly. He was expected to serve as an infield backup and fulfilled that role faithfully. This year, he also started as a backup to 23-year-old Kim Young-woong, seemingly quietly approaching his first career free agency.

However, his early performance has been anything but ordinary. Replacing the struggling Kim Young-woong, he has consistently appeared in games. As of the conclusion of the game on the 13th, he has hit .281 (96 at-bats, 27 hits) with 3 home runs, 20 RBIs, and 18 runs scored, posting an on-base percentage of .402 and a slugging percentage of .458.

He is also gradually making an impact. On the 18th of last month, in a match against Daegu LG Twins, Jeon Byeong-woo hit a three-run home run against Im Chan-kyu, proving why he has recently started in place of Kim Young-woong. On the 12th against LG at Jamsil, with the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 8th inning with two outs and the bases loaded, he hit a left-field, bases-loaded home run off Jang Hyun-sik, leading his team to victory.

The manager also welcomed the late-blooming veteran's resurgence. Samsung manager Park Jin-man praised him ahead of the Jamsil LG match on the 13th: "(Jeon) Byeong-woo prepared the best along with (Ryu) Ji-hyuk during this spring camp. While other players did the same, Byeong-woo took it seriously because this year is personally important for him, so he prepared diligently from the start of the camp. The results are now showing."

The power display by backup players also creates tension among starters and sparks competition, which is a positive development for the team. If Kim Young-woong, the existing third baseman, continues to struggle as he is now and Jeon Byeong-woo's upward momentum continues, the club would have no reason not to use Jeon Byeong-woo.

Last year's postseason hero, Kim Young-woong, has been dealing with both injury and poor form, recording a .171 batting average (41 at-bats, 7 hits) and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .429 over 10 games this year.

Manager Park Jin-man smiled when asked by reporters about Kim Young-woong, saying, "I think he might be sitting on a temporary seat. I wonder if (Kim) Young-woong's body might also be shaky. Healthy competition is a great help to the team. If Young-woong returns, our depth will become even stronger. Since depth is crucial in a long-season race, I believe the current situation is moving in a positive direction."

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*This content was translated by AI.