'Yang Eui-ji vacancy' felt more intensely! 26-year-old Doosan catcher, unsatisfied despite .284 batting average: "I will get as close as possible"

*This content was translated by AI.

Doosan Bears catcher Yoon Jun-ho (26) did not easily feel satisfied despite achieving excellent results during his first year at the Army Corps of Military Police (Sangmu).

On the 2nd, Yoon started as the cleanup hitter and catcher in Doosan's home game against the Lotte Giants at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season. He recorded two hits and one run in three at-bats, leading Doosan to an 8-3 victory.

As if proving his recent batting form, he performed exceptionally well again that day. Yoon reached base with a double down the line in the bottom of the third inning from his first at-bat. In the bottom of the fifth, he played a pivotal role in sparking a big inning. With no runners on and a 3 balls to 1 strike count in his favor, Yoon hit a low fastball aimed at his body and drove it into the left-field line for a double. He later scored after Kang Seung-ho's two-run home run to left-center field.

His performance as a catcher was also steady. Doosan's starting pitcher that day was ace Kwak Bin. Despite a 1 hour and 20-minute delay due to bad weather, Kwak threw 100 pitches — including 42 fastballs reaching up to 158 km/h, 18 changeups, 16 sliders, 14 cutters, and 10 curveballs — over six innings. Yoon played the full nine innings, helping stabilize Doosan's pitching staff, including Kwak.

After the game, Yoon said, "With only a short time left in the first half, I'm happy that we managed to win this series and maintain good momentum." He added, "The delay may have caused some chaos, but (Kwak) Bin-hyung stayed very focused. Since the ball felt good today, I tried to be aggressive at the plate."

He continued, "In the batter's box, I focused as much as possible on my bat timing. I was feeling that my timing was a bit early, but Coach Lee Jin-young and Coach Jo Jung-geun kept giving me feedback, which led to good results. Especially, Ryu Seung-min, who served with me at Sangmu, knew well about my performance during my time there, so he was very helpful."

Yoon Jun-ho graduated from Busan Anrak Elementary (Haeundae Little League), Centum Middle School, Gyeongnam High School, and Dong-A University before being selected by Doosan in the fifth round, 49th overall pick of the 2023 KBO Rookie Draft. Although he did not receive many opportunities in his early debut years, after serving in the military, he has firmly established himself as a reliable backup catcher supporting Yang Eui-ji.

As of the end of the game on the 2nd, Yoon had appeared in 58 out of Doosan's 81 games (71.6%), solidifying his role as the team's second catcher. His statistics are also respectable: a .284 batting average (95 at-bats, 27 hits), two home runs, and 10 RBIs in those 58 games, with an on-base percentage of .349 and a slugging percentage of .389.

Despite what could be considered a satisfactory performance in his first season after discharge, Yoon himself remained determined to improve further. He stated calmly, "Our team has Yang Eui-ji, the best catcher in the KBO. So when I step in, fans might notice differences or gaps."

He added, "I know fans may not be 100% satisfied, but I will do my best to get as close as possible. For now, since we won today, I'll end things on a good note."

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*This content was translated by AI.