«Los hinchas de Lotte ya conocen mis expectativas»: el gigante de la preparatoria Gyeongnam Lee Ho-min, con un promedio de bateo de 0.491, muestra un talento de bateo que supera a los tres grandes, y Busan se emociona «otra vez» [Entrevista]

Este contenido ha sido traducido por IA.

Another talent that makes the Busan region and Lotte Giants shiver with excitement has emerged from Gyeongnam High, the alma mater of Korean baseball legend Lee Dae-ho (44). The protagonist is right-handed power hitter and third baseman Lee Ho-min (18).

Lee Ho-min is a batter whose explosive hitting power stems from his robust physique: 186 cm in height and 94 kg in weight according to the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA). His skills have improved dramatically since his third year, dispelling all doubts from domestic and international scouts at least in the batting category. In 15 games this year, he posted a batting average of 0.491 (53 at-bats, 26 hits), 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 18 RBIs, 10 runs scored, 4 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of 0.576, a slugging percentage of 0.736, and an OPS of 1.312, dominating the high school scene in the first half alongside Gwangju Ilgo's right-handed pitcher Park Chan-min (18).

He is widely regarded as having overwhelmed the Big 3 talents, who are the top candidates for the first overall pick: Busan High's Ha Hyun-seung (18), Deoksu High's Eom Jun-sang (18), and Seoul High's Kim Ji-woo (18). KBO club scout A stated firmly, "Lee Ho-min's evaluation has been raised to the point where he could be selected in the later rounds of the first round based on batting alone. No player has hit as well as him this year." He added, "His hitting mechanism is smooth, and his ability to adjust his approach at the plate has improved significantly. Judging by what he has shown so far, I expect him to adapt quickly in the pros if we consider only his batting."

Possessing the best power in high school alongside Kim Ji-woo, he also has contact skills that make him a strong candidate for the Lee Young-min Batting Award, classifying him as a complete batter at least at the high school level. Furthermore, his experience of supporting Gyeongnam High's lineup since his first year has shone in clutch situations.

KBO scout A praised him without holding back: "Lee Ho-min has consistently handled the core of Gyeongnam High's lineup since his first year, driving in runs in crucial moments. This is thanks to his excellent ability to handle balls that drift outside or are high. We rate his clutch ability very highly."

Based on evaluations so far, the title of "the second Lee Dae-ho" is not excessive. The overwhelming majority opinion is that the third baseman from Gyeongnam High who fits the description of "the second Lee Dae-ho" after Han Dong-hee (27, Lotte Giants) and Noh Si-hwan (26, Hanwha Eagles) is the first.

At the 4th Hanwha Eagles High School-College All-Star Game held on the 8th at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ball Park, Lee Ho-min told StarNews, "When I kick, if I maintain my center and hinge well, I can see the line or length of the incoming ball well. Based on that, I hit with care, and it yielded good results even on outside pitches." He added, "I feel my batting feel is well maintained and my defense has improved significantly, so I am having a personally satisfying season."

The main reason Lee Ho-min, who has received unanimous praise for his batting, has been pushed to the later rounds of the first round of the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft is his third base defense. Because he only started playing third base in earnest in the second half of his second year, he received many evaluations of being hopeless in all aspects, including first base throws, fielding, and footwork. However, there is a growing sentiment that he is improving through repeated training and extensive game experience. Lee Ho-min also demonstrated stable third base defense at this high school-college all-star game, converting strong balls hit outside the foul line into straight-line outs.

KBO scout B explained, "Lee Ho-min is a corner infielder type, so it is true that he has value in the pros only as a third baseman. Although there are evaluations that his defense is weak, it seems unlikely he will be pushed out of the first round based on what he is showing now. We believe his third base defense can be sufficiently compensated with more training."

The player himself is well aware of these criticisms. Lee Ho-min stated, "I am practicing throwing accurately and frequently. Our team has a player named An Woo-seok who is good at fielding and throwing, so I am learning how to throw and how to utilize finger sensation by playing catch with him."

As the "Little Lee Dae-ho" continues to develop, Lotte, holding the fourth overall pick, may be feeling a flicker of hope. With high school-level talents Han Dong-hee and Na Seung-yeop (24) already occupying corner infield positions, Lotte was expected to prioritize selecting pitchers they need immediately over Lee Ho-min.

However, pitchers who were expected to be selected early have recently become uncertain due to injuries or poor performance. To make matters worse, there is now a possibility that both Eom Jun-sang and Kim Ji-woo, who are attracting attention from Major League Baseball, could be unavailable. Consequently, the possibility that teams with early picks will quickly select Lee Ho-min, who is evaluated as the most unique among position players, cannot be ignored, similar to how Shin Jae-in (19, NC Dinos) was selected last year.

This is the one who originally dreamed of becoming a baseball player while looking up to Lee Dae-ho. The increased interest from Busan and Lotte fans is now becoming tangible. When asked if he is aware of the attention from Lotte fans, Lee Ho-min emphasized, "I receive interview and photo requests wherever I go, so I am somewhat realizing it. I am truly grateful that Busan fans are showing interest. If I prepare well enough to meet those expectations, I believe I can show good results when I (go to) Lotte, so I am working hard."

When asked to introduce himself again, Lee Ho-min replied, "I am a batter with a fierce competitive spirit who is very persistent in the batter's box and does not give up easily. My power and accuracy are also not lacking." He continued, "Since there are not many days left for me to play as a student, my biggest goal is to enjoy baseball without regrets. Since many pitchers have improved, I think we can aim for the championship since the President's Cup. There are many good pitchers this year, but among position players, I will aim to be the first to go to the pros."

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Este contenido ha sido traducido por IA.