"Moon Jung-bin's 150-at-bat batting average 0.260, Song Chan-ui's 15 home runs and 60 RBIs target" Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop clearly stated his stance... LG's right-handed power hitters are growing this big [Busan]

*This content was translated by AI.

LG Twins Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) clearly stated his position on the development of two promising right-handed power hitters, Song Chan-ui (27) and Moon Jung-bin (23), who are expected to make a significant impact.

Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop announced the starting lineup ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular-season away game against Lotte Giants at Busan Sajik Stadium on the 27th.

On this day, LG set its lineup as Song Chan-ui (left fielder)-Park Hae-min (center fielder)-Austin Dean (first baseman)-Moon Jung-bin (third baseman)-Park Dong-won (catcher)-Moon Sung-ju (designated hitter)-Hong Chang-ki (right fielder)-Koo Bon-hyuk (shortstop)-Shin Min-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher was Lachlan Wells.

Lotte countered with a lineup of Hwang Sung-bin (center fielder)-Ko Seung-min (second baseman)-Victor Reyes (left fielder)-Han Dong-hee (designated hitter)-Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder)-Na Seung-yeop (first baseman)-Jeon Min-jae (shortstop)-Son Ho-young (third baseman)-Son Seong-bin (catcher). The starting pitcher was Kim Jin-wook.

It is notable that starting third baseman Moon Bo-kyung and shortstop Oh Ji-hwan were excluded from the starting lineup. Manager Yeom stated, "Neither of them has any pain. They were not left out due to inability. Moon Bo-kyung cannot time Kim Jin-wook's pitches, and Oh Ji-hwan's batting feel is not very good, so they were left out."

The batting gap left by these two is filled by right-handed power hitting prospects Song Chan-ui and Moon Jung-bin, batting at the 1st and 4th spots respectively. Song Chan-ui has emerged as a full-time starter despite limited opportunities this year, posting a .299 batting average (154 at-bats, 46 hits), 8 home runs, 31 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.965 in 53 games.

Moon Jung-bin's recent performance is also noteworthy. He has a .290 batting average (62 at-bats, 18 hits), 5 home runs, 15 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.018 in 25 games. His batting average in his last 10 games is also a respectable .318 (22 at-bats, 7 hits). Notably, he has a .500 batting average in five games against Lotte this year, already recording 2 home runs and 6 RBIs. The day before (26th), with LG trailing 2-3 in the bottom of the 9th inning against Choi Jun-yong, Moon Jung-bin hit a massive double that struck the upper part of the center-field fence, sending shivers through Lotte.

Manager Yeom expressed regret, saying, "Yesterday (26th), Moon Jung-bin's hit would have cleared the fence everywhere except at Lotte Sajik Stadium. The fence at Sajik is high. It would have cleared the fence at Jamsil too, so I assumed it would go out."

Fan interest in the usage of Moon Jung-bin and Song Chan-ui has been intense recently. While Song Chan-ui has received a firm confirmation from Manager Yeom as a full-time starter thanks to his consistent performance, Moon Jung-bin has not yet been started against ace pitchers or teams with poor records. With the slump of several regular players, debates continue daily over why Moon Jung-bin, who has a good batting feel, is not given more opportunities.

The manager was also aware of this public sentiment to some extent. Manager Yeom said, "Currently, (Moon) Jung-bin has a good batting feel. Fans might wonder why he is not used. However, I can 100% guarantee that this process is the result of selection and focus. If we had just thrown him out at any time, he would have hit a .211 batting average."

He continued, "We have placed Jung-bin in a situation where he can compete at his current level, and he is approaching nearly 150 at-bats. If he maintains a .290 batting average, the player himself will gain confidence, and the public opinion and energy from fans will also be positive. I plan to carry this plan through to at least 150 at-bats, just as I did with (Song) Chan-ui in the past."

The experience gained with Song Chan-ui last year has been applied to Moon Jung-bin. Song Chan-ui struggled in the first division every year, but last year, due to Hong Chang-ki's injury, he gained experience in 66 games with 166 at-bats. Although his batting average was only .211 (147 at-bats, 31 hits), the manager believes this experience will help his strong performance this year.

Manager Yeom stated, "I hope (Moon) Jung-bin finishes this season with a .260 batting average, not .220. Last year, (Song) Chan-ui was given opportunities. The first 70 at-bats were good. However, the subsequent 70 at-bats were affected by (Hong) Chang-ki's injury, and he was used as a starter, eventually finishing with a .211 batting average. There have been too many such cases in the past 30 years."

He further added, "I believe Jung-bin is achieving these results because he is competing in a place where he can fight at his current level. He is having a good success experience, and he will continue this way until he reaches 150 at-bats. No matter how well he performs, I will not start him until I am convinced that he can face strong pitchers just like (Song) Chan-ui now."

Just as an African proverb says, "It takes a village to raise a child," raising a player requires not only the help of players, coaches, and managers but also fans. Manager Yeom said, "Even if he performs well now, if he fails in 10 games, he will be attacked again. Even if I tell players not to look at articles or SNS, they will still encounter negative comments through themselves or those around them and get hurt. Therefore, I hope at least LG Twins fans will continue to trust and support the players with the same mindset when they fail."

He added, "(Song) Chan-ui is a representative case. Many people used to say Chan-ui should give up. But Chan-ui started over this year. He repeated what he did last year against pitchers he could hit, and as good results came, he regained confidence. The accumulation of last year's and this year's experiences is producing the current results."

It is clear that Song Chan-ui is still a player who needs to be watched. Manager Yeom said, "(Song) Chan-ui is the same. My goal for this year is for Chan-ui to play full time and finish the season with a .260 batting average, 15 home runs, and 60 RBIs. Only then can he grow one step further technically and mentally next year. I believe that believing in and encouraging him is a much better direction for LG Twins," and asked for support.

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*This content was translated by AI.