*This content was translated by AI.
LG Twins' promising right-handed power hitter Lee Jae-won (27) has finally regained his smile. Two powerful extra-base hits, more valuable than home runs. Behind them was also the fans' relentless love and attention.
On the 8th, Lee Jae-won started as the eighth batter and designated hitter in the Daegu Samsung Lions game, going 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored, leading LG to an 8-2 victory and reclaiming first place.
This was a golden opportunity for a starting appearance. Returning to LG this year with high expectations, Lee Jae-won struggled throughout the first half. Due to continued poor performance, he was removed from the first-division roster on June 3, making this his third registration in the first division. His last start was 41 days after the May 28 game against Busan Lotte Giants.
His performance erased past grievances. Lee Jae-won struck out in his first at-bat but hit a sharp line drive to left-center field off Jack O'Clock's high outside fastball from a left-handed pitcher with two outs and a runner on first base in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring an RBI single. According to broadcasts, the ball speed exceeded 180 km/h, making it impossible for Samsung shortstop Shim Jae-hoon to catch even after jumping. He also scored later when Hong Chang-gi hit a triple to third base.
He was a demon against left-handed pitchers. Lee Jae-won came up as the leadoff batter in the bottom of the sixth inning and crushed Baek Jeong-hyun's first pitch, sending it again to left-center field. It was regrettable that he was substituted for Cheon Seong-ho afterward. Having completed a successful return to the first division, Lee Jae-won stood before reporters with a refreshed expression, looking completely different from when he headed to the minor league a month ago.
Lee Jae-won said, "When I went down to the minor league last time, I was very lost. After going down, I talked a lot with the data analysis team members and the batting coach. But when I watched my own batting videos, there was absolutely no problem with my batting form. The issue was purely mental."
He added, "(Mentally) as I felt pressured, I ended up trying to hit the ball alone. When I first went down to the minor league, I went with the mindset of completely rebuilding everything from scratch. As a result, I became exhausted on my own, overthought things, and experienced overload."
After confirming that his batting form was not the problem, Lee Jae-won wanted to return to his original mindset. He cleared his mind before stepping into the batter's box and finished his warm-up in Futures League games just before being called up with 3 hits in 5 at-bats (2 home runs) and 4 RBIs.
However, after striking out on a 2-ball, 0-strike count in his first at-bat of the day following a pinch-hit appearance the previous day (7th), unease began to creep in. In response, Lee Jae-won said, "I read that when you try too hard, you end up running away. Since excessive eagerness isn't good either, I focused on just three things: my breathing, my gaze, and the first action I can do. Thinking about moving forward more lightly even if I strike out led to this good result."
Lee Jae-won (27), along with Song Chan-ui (27) and Moon Jeong-bin (23), is the right-handed power hitter resource that LG fans have long awaited. Among the three LG players capable of hitting home runs over the fence at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop mentioned Lee Jae-won first, highlighting his overwhelming power.
As such, fan interest was immense. Wanting to support Lee Jae-won who has yet to deliver results, fans gifted him books related to mental strength. Lee Jae-won said, "I've read many books on mental strength. I didn't just read one book repeatedly; I read various related books multiple times. I also looked for relevant books and even received some that fans bought for me." He added, "I am truly grateful to the fans. It's not that any specific words immediately came to mind, but only a feeling of gratitude remains."
Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop wanted to give Lee Jae-won opportunities for a while even after the second half began, hoping to see his changed form. Lee Jae-won also expressed his desire to hold his own well in the first division this time. He stated, "I plan to spend the All-Star break the same way. If I try too hard, the (bad) performance will just cycle again." He continued, "It doesn't matter which position. I am grateful for the chance to play in games. Since the manager gave me an opportunity today, I will play with a grateful heart," expressing his confident aspirations.
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*This content was translated by AI.
