"I know what Lotte fans are hoping for" — Gyeongnam High's power hitter Lee Ho-min, boasting a .491 batting average, overwhelms the Big Three, leaving Busan thrilled once again [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Another talent has emerged from Gyeongnam High, the alma mater of Korean baseball legend Lee Dae-ho (44), to excite both the Busan region and the Lotte Giants. The protagonist is right-handed power-hitting third baseman Lee Ho-min (18).

Lee Ho-min is a batter known for his explosive hitting power, derived from his robust physique: 186 cm in height and 94 kg in weight according to the Korea Baseball & Softball Association (KBSA). His skills have improved dramatically since his third year, dispelling all doubts from domestic and international scouts at least in the batting category. In 15 games this year, he posted a .491 batting average (53 at-bats, 26 hits), 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 18 RBIs, 10 runs scored, 4 stolen bases, a .576 on-base percentage, a .736 slugging percentage, and an OPS of 1.312, dominating the high school scene in the first half alongside Gwangju Ilgo right-handed pitcher Park Chan-min (18).

He is widely regarded as having surpassed the Big Three talents—Busan High's Ha Hyun-seung (18), Deoksu High's Eom Jun-sang (18), and Seoul High's Kim Ji-woo (18)—who are considered top candidates for the overall first-round pick. KBO scout A stated, "Lee Ho-min's evaluation has been raised to the point where he could be selected in the latter half of the first round based solely on his batting. No one has hit as well as him this year." He added, "His batting mechanics are smooth, and his ability to adjust his approach at the plate has improved significantly. Judging by what he has shown so far, he is expected to adapt quickly to the professional level if we consider only his batting."

Alongside Kim Ji-woo, he possesses the best power in high school baseball and also demonstrates strong contact ability, making him a complete hitter at the high school level. Furthermore, his experience since his first year of supporting Gyeongnam High's lineup has shone in clutch situations.

KBO scout A praised, "Lee Ho-min has consistently handled the core of Gyeongnam High's lineup since his first year, delivering key RBIs in crucial moments. This is thanks to his excellent ability to handle outside pitches and high balls even at the high school level. We highly value such clutch performance."

Based on evaluations so far, the label "the second Lee Dae-ho" is not an exaggeration. The overwhelming majority opinion is that Lee Ho-min is the first third baseman from Gyeongnam High since Han Dong-hee (27, Lotte Giants) and Noh Si-hwan (26, Hanwha Eagles) to deserve the "second Lee Dae-ho" moniker.

At the 4th Hanwha Eagles Cup High School-College All-Star Game held on the 8th at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, Lee Ho-min told StarNews, "When I focus on maintaining my center and hinge during my swing, I can clearly see the line or length of the incoming pitch. Based on that, I paid extra attention, and it yielded good results even on outside pitches." He added, "I feel I've maintained my batting touch well and improved significantly in defense, so I'm having a personally satisfying season."

The main reason Lee Ho-min, who has received universal praise for his batting, might be pushed to the later part of the first round in the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft is his third base defense. Because he only began playing third base seriously in the latter half of his second year, he faced many evaluations of being hopeless in all aspects, including first base throws, fielding, and footwork. However, due to repeated training and extensive game experience, there is a growing sense that he is improving in this area. Lee Ho-min also demonstrated stable third base defense during this high school-college all-star game, including converting strong balls hit outside the foul line into straight-line outs.

KBO scout B explained, "Lee Ho-min is a corner infielder type, so he must play third base to have value in the pros. While there are evaluations that his defense is weak, based on what he is showing now, it seems unlikely he will be pushed out of the first round. We believe his third base defense can be sufficiently compensated with more training."

The player himself is well aware of these criticisms. Lee Ho-min stated, "I am practicing throwing accurately and frequently. Our team has a player named An Woo-seok who excels in fielding and throwing, so I am learning how to throw and how to utilize finger sensation by playing catch with him."

As the "Little Lee Dae-ho" continues to develop, Lotte, holding the fourth overall pick, may be feeling a flicker of hope. With top high school talents Han Dong-hee and Na Seung-yeop (24) already occupying corner infield positions, Lotte was expected to prioritize selecting pitchers they need immediately over Lee Ho-min.

However, pitchers who were expected to be selected early have recently become uncertain due to injuries or poor performance. Compounding the situation, there is now a possibility that both Eom Jun-sang and Kim Ji-woo, who are attracting attention from Major League Baseball, could be unavailable. Consequently, the possibility that Lee Ho-min, regarded as the most unique among position players, could be quickly selected by top teams, similar to last year's rookie Shin Jae-in (19, NC Dinos), can no longer be ignored.

This is the very reason he once dreamed of becoming a baseball player while looking up to Lee Dae-ho. The increased attention from Busan and Lotte fans is now becoming tangible. When asked if he is aware of the attention from Lotte fans, Lee Ho-min emphasized, "I receive interview and photo requests wherever I go, so I am starting to feel it. I am truly grateful for the interest from Busan fans. If I prepare well enough to meet their expectations, I believe I can show good results when I eventually join Lotte, so I am working hard."

When asked to introduce himself again, Lee Ho-min replied, "I am a batter with relentless competitive spirit who never gives up easily at the plate. My power and accuracy are also not lacking." He continued, "Since there are not many days left for me to play as a student, my biggest goal is to enjoy baseball without regrets. With many strong pitchers on our team, I think we can aim for the championship starting from the President's Cup. There are many excellent pitchers this year, but among position players, I will aim to be the first to go to the pros."

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*This content was translated by AI.