'Odd-year stepping stones': Four all-around first-round position players join forces for a comeback victory, hailed as "the present and future of the team"

*This content was translated by AI.

Recently, Doosan Bears' lineup has featured many players who were selected as the first overall position player in their respective rookie drafts: Park Jun-soon (20), Kim Min-seok (22), Ahn Jae-seok (24), Kim Da-han (26), and even Kang Seung-ho (32).

Park Jun-soon joined Doosan as the sixth pick in the first round of the 2025 draft, while Kim Min-seok was selected third overall in the first round by Lotte in 2023 before moving to Doosan last year. Both were the top position players chosen in their respective drafts.

Ahn Jae-seok and Kim Da-han joined Doosan as first-round picks in 2021 and 2019, respectively. At that time, Seoul-based rivals Kiwoom Heroes and LG Twins both selected pitchers, making Ahn and Kim the top position player selections. Coincidentally, their draft years are connected in a "stepping stone" pattern across two-year intervals during odd-numbered years.

Kang Seung-ho was also the first position player selected overall in the 2013 draft, going third overall to LG in the first round. Notably, the fourth pick that same year was Kim In-tae (32) from Bukil High School, who now plays for Doosan.

The players currently drawing attention are four young position players in their early-to-mid 20s. Park Jun-soon, in his second professional season this year, is leading the team with a .333 batting average (though he has not yet reached the required plate appearances) and 14 home runs. He is praised for developing both technical hitting skills and power.

Kim Min-seok struggled last year, his first season after the trade, with a .228 batting average, but this season he has shown the form that earned him the Lee Young-min Batting Award during high school. He is currently the only player in the team to have reached the required plate appearances with a .313 batting average.

Both Ahn Jae-seok and Kim Da-han faced difficult early career periods before returning after completing mandatory military service. Kim Won-hyung (54), Doosan's general manager, recognized their potential and has been consistently giving them playing opportunities recently.

Thanks to this support, Ahn Jae-seok has recovered his hitting form with 6 hits in 13 at-bats (.462 average) over his last four games. Kim Da-han frequently appears as the starting right fielder, a position that has not yet been firmly decided.

On the 30th at Incheon SSG Landers Field, during a game against SSG Landers, these four position players combined to lead Doosan to a 5-3 comeback victory with aggressive base running and timely hitting.

First, Ahn Jae-seok recorded the team's first RBI with a double down the left-center gap in the bottom of the second inning with one out and runners on second base while the score was tied 0-0. He later advanced to third base and scored on a wild pitch.

In the top of the eighth inning, with Doosan trailing 2-3, there were no outs and a runner on first base. As SSG center fielder Choi Ji-hoon dropped a deep outfield hit by Park Jun-soon (officially recorded as a double), pinch-runner Kim Da-han successfully tied the game. His boldness stood out as he had already taken an early lead toward second base while the ball was in flight and then sprinted home with agility.

With one out and a runner on third, Kim Min-seok hit a ground ball through the infield for an inside-the-park single, giving Doosan a 4-3 lead — the game-winning hit of the day. Ahn Jae-seok immediately followed with an infield single to second base, keeping the rally alive. A consecutive hit by Jo Su-haeng and Park Ji-hoon allowed Doosan to secure the winning series. The four hitters combined for six hits, three RBIs, and four runs scored, with Ahn collecting three hits and Kim Min-seok two.

A Doosan official described these young position players as "the present and future of Doosan." It is no exaggeration to say that the team's next decade hinges on how much potential they can unleash.

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*This content was translated by AI.