'Even like this, won't they pick me?' Lee Jae-hyun stages a powerful display of capability in front of Ryu Ji-hyun, hitting a season-high 7th home run!

*This content was translated by AI.

Samsung Lions infielder Lee Jae-hyun (23) left a strong impression by launching a thrilling home run in front of Ryu Ji-hyun (55), who is leading the Asian Games baseball national team.

On the 2nd, Lee Jae-hyun started at shortstop and batted ninth in the '2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League' match against NC Dinos at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the 5th inning to narrow the gap.

Entering the plate as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 5th with his team trailing 1-5, Lee Jae-hyun connected with the fifth pitch from NC starter Natsuki Toda, a high four-seam fastball clocked at 146 km/h. The ball soared over the left-field fence for a 105-meter solo home run. This was Lee Jae-hyun's 7th home run of the season.

This home carry carried even more special significance than usual. Coach Ryu Ji-hyun and coach Lee Dong-wook of the national team, which will compete in the '2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games (AG)' to be held in September, had visited Daegu Samsung Lions Park that day to personally inspect the players.

Prior to the game, Samsung manager Park Jin-man (50) also fully supported the promotion of young Joo Yeok-deul-ui (CEO) team members, boosting their morale. When asked about the Asian Games during an interview with reporters, Manager Park smiled and said, "We have many players who need to go now."

The future of Samsung that Manager Park directly mentioned includes infielders Lee Jae-hyun (23) and Kim Young-woong (23), and pitcher Bae Chan-seung (20). The Asian Games national team has its own selection criteria of "under 25 years old or within the 4th year of professional debut," allowing up to three players per team to be selected.

With the team leader personally stating, "Feel free to take as many as you want," and offering his support, Lee Jae-hyun immediately activated his home run power, coincidentally repaying Manager Park Jin-man's trust. He proved himself to be a shortstop resource with both stable defensive skills and explosive hitting power, catching the eye of Coach Ryu Ji-hyun.

Meanwhile, the final roster (24 players) for the Asian Games baseball national team is scheduled to be officially announced at 2 p.m. on the 11th at the Korea Press Center. Manager of the Ryu Ji-hyeon (CEO) team and KBO power analyst Cho Gye-hyun, among others, will attend the event to reveal the final roster.

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*This content was translated by AI.