The modifier ‘the second Lee Jung-hoo’ was not a fuss.
Lotte has a special rookie to pay attention to. Outfielder Kim Min-seok, who was nominated by Lotte as the 3rd overall pick in the 1st round in the 2022 KBO Rookie Draft, is showing off his unusual bat skills at the Okinawa spring camp.
Kim Min-seok started as the second hitter and right fielder in a practice match against SSG held at Gushikawa Stadium in Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on the 4th.
No matter how much it is a practice game, it comes as a fresh shock that a 19-year-old rookie who has not yet debuted in the regular season scored five hits. Starting with a heavy hit with one out in the bottom of the first inning, and an RBI that gave the team a 6-4 lead with a heavy and timely hit in the bottom of the 8th inning. 5 hits, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored, 2 stolen bases.
Kim Min-seok, who has been known as a top-notch prospect since his high school days, boasts sharp batting skills like his high school senior Lee Jung-hoo, earning him the nickname ‘the second Lee Jung-hoo’. It may be a nickname for a player who is just about to debut on the professional stage, but looking at the batting skills he shows in spring training games, you can understand why this modifier was attached.
Kim Min-seok, whom we met after the game, said that watching his high school batting videos helped him improve his sense of hitting.
“I looked for videos in high school. In high school, I moved from the lower body and didn’t hit with force, but after coming to Japan, I tried to hit with force in the beginning, and I was in a hurry,” said Kim Min-seok. “I think I’ve improved a lot. The bat was not good in the beginning, but I think I’ve found my pace now. I’m trying to maintain the feeling I have at hitting now.”
He said it was the first time in his life that he had 5 hits in a game. Kim Min-seok said, “I think I hit up to 4 hits in a game in high school. This is the first time I’ve hit 5 hits.” It is noteworthy whether Kim Min-seok, who wore a Lotte uniform and played his first five-hit game, will be reborn as a rookie who creates a typhoon in this year’s regular season. 온라인바카라