"Why put a power-hitting prospect in the No. 9 spot?" Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop had his reasons: "For Lee Jae-won, letting him hit comfortably comes first" [Incheon on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Jamsil Big Boy" Lee Jae-won (27, LG Twins) has returned to the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Although he possesses the power that would suit a middle-of-the-order hitter, Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop (58) of the LG Twins sees it differently. He judges that relieving pressure is currently the priority.

On the 1st, the LG Twins announced their starting lineup for the away game against the SSG Landers in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season, to be held at Incheon SSG Landers Field.

The LG Twins' batting order was set as follows: Park Hae-min (center fielder) - Gu Bon-hyeok (second baseman) - Austin Dean (designated hitter) - Song Chan-ui (left fielder) - Oh Ji-hwan (shortstop) - Moon Jung-bin (first baseman) - Moon Bo-kyung (third baseman) - Park Dong-won (catcher) - Lee Jae-won (right fielder). The starting pitcher is Lim Chan-gyu.

In response, the SSG Landers set their batting order as: Park Sung-han (shortstop) - Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder) - Guillermo Heredia (left fielder) - Jeon Ui-san (first baseman) - Go Myeong-jun (third baseman) - Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter) - Han Yu-seom (right fielder) - Jo Hyeong-woo (catcher) - Jung Jun-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Kim Min-jun.

Lee Jae-won will start as the No. 9 right fielder, continuing from the previous day. Before the game, Manager Yeom explained Lee's position in the batting order by saying, "The first priority for Jae-won this season is to let him play comfortably." He added, "Even though the No. 8 and No. 9 spots may look similar, in our lineup, the No. 9 hitter needs to connect things. Between the No. 8 and No. 9, the player with a higher on-base percentage and better hitting form should go in the No. 9 spot. That way, it connects to the No. 1 and the top of the order."

It is not simply that he has been pushed down to the bottom of the order; rather, the team expects him to take on the role of a "second leadoff hitter" while reducing pressure. Lee Jae-won is a right-handed power-hitting prospect whom the LG Twins have waited for a long time. After graduating from Seoul High School and being drafted in the second round, 17th overall, in the 2018 KBO Rookie Draft, he showed his potential by hitting 13 home runs in 2022. As his growth stalled, he enlisted in the military service command in 2024 and hit 40 home runs over two seasons. Last year, he fueled expectations for his return by recording a .329 batting average, 26 home runs, 91 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.100 in 78 games in the Futures League (KBO minor league).

However, his first year back did not go entirely as planned. His batting average dropped to .077 at one point early in the season, and he moved between the first division and the minor league. At the time, Manager Yeom stated that "one must experience failure to feel a sense of urgency," emphasizing that the process of accurately understanding his own shortcomings was more important than this year's results.

After putting some pressure aside in September, he showed good form with a .313 batting average (5 hits in 16 at-bats) in 7 games. For the current season, he has recorded a .245 batting average (25 hits in 102 at-bats), 6 home runs, 20 RBIs, 7 doubles, and an OPS of 0.806 in 52 games.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.