"A player with high energy can shake Park Jun-hyun..." KIA Park Jae-hyun returns as leadoff hitter, leading the charge to tackle 'super rookie' [Gocheok]

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers outfielder Park Jae-hyun (20) will take the lead in the effort to counter the 'super rookie'.

On the 23rd, KIA used Park Jae-hyun as the starting leadoff hitter and left fielder in a game against Kiwoom Heroes at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome. This marks his return to the leadoff spot after nine days, following his last appearance in that role on the 14th against the Gwangju Doosan Bears. Kim Ho-ryeong (34), who had recently batted leadoff, started at second base and center field as the second hitter.

KIA manager Lee Beom-ho (45) told reporters before the game, "First, Kim Ho-ryeong (34) prefers batting second rather than first. We thought about placing him in the second spot to give him more psychological stability and to manage his physical condition."

He added that he expects Park Jae-hyun to perform well as the leadoff hitter in his matchup against Kiwoom's starting pitcher Park Jun-hyun (19) today.

The manager explained, "Park Jae-hyun is good at hitting fast pitches. And if a player with high energy in the leadoff spot gets a hit on the first pitch or manages to get on base, it could shake up Park Jun-hyun, who is a rookie."

In his second season this year, Park Jae-hyun has appeared in 68 games, posting a .278 batting average (69 hits in 248 at-bats), 8 home runs, 33 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases, injecting energy into the team's lineup.

Park Jun-hyun, who throws a fastball reaching speeds up to 158 km/h, was selected as the first overall pick in the first round of the 2026 Rookie Draft and signed with Kiwoom for a signing bonus of 700 million won. He made a strong impression on his first-team debut on April 26, pitching 5 scoreless innings against the Samsung Lions to secure a victory. On May 17 against the NC Dinos, he allowed just one run over 6 innings, and in his previous appearance on the 17th against Samsung, he pitched 7 scoreless innings with stability.

His season stats through 8 games are 1 win, 2 losses, an ERA of 2.90, 40⅓ innings pitched, 35 strikeouts, and he has allowed only one home run.

Manager Lee Beom-ho expressed caution about Park Jun-hyun, saying, "I watched his games against Samsung and NC, and he pitched very well. His speed is impressive, and I'm a bit worried."

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*This content was translated by AI.