A star in the 4th year? A man who still calls himself a prospect...I have a small goal this year
Mar 16, 2025
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It has now become one of the representative stars of Korean baseball beyond Busan idols.
However, Yoon Dong-hee describes himself as a 4th-year prospect. He is a man who knows the virtues of not rushing, step by step, until he reaches the great reality.
He passed 100 hits in his second year of joining the team and won the Asian Games gold medal with the national flag. Last year, he added a long shot. He was reborn as a mid- to long-range hitter by raising his on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) to 0.829 by shooting 14 home runs.
Will it be worth aiming for 20 home runs this year when the fence at Sajik Stadium has been lowered. Yun Dong-hee, whom I met in Busan, said, "We are carrying out the process as prepared," he said, holding himself together.
On the 13th, he hit a 152km fastball by Young Gun Kim Seo-hyun, a fastball that Hanwha Eagles boasts, and even hit a home run. Yoon Dong-hee said, `I know Kim Seo-hyun is a good pitcher. It worked well to go in for a fastball."
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Early last year, he fell into a slump while trying to pick out the ball under the pressure of a table setter. I also remember struggling to find a way out in the process of modifying the hitting form. This year is different. Regardless of batting order, he decided to stick to his style of hitting 'strong line drive batting'.
"I'm still a prospect because I'm in my fourth year this year. Still, he played in the first team for two years, and his mindset changed when he saw his juniors. Also, the fans' love is so great. I feel more responsible than burdened."
Hwang Sung-bin, who will work as an outfield partner, is close to him regardless of his age. They constantly communicate and relax even during games.
He is also receiving a lot of help from the teaching of the newly appointed head coach Cho Won-woo. Yoon Dong-hee was impressed by the words "Always "Defend, thinking that it's a two-out full base at the bottom of the ninth inning now." He said, "I'm the type to talk a lot separately."
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This year's goal is, of course, fall baseball. It is a goal that the leadership of Lotte Group, coaching staff and players, teams and fans all desperately want. Yun Dong-hee said "I don't care much about other people's expectations. What if Lotte is a candidate for the 5th round, and what if it is a dark horse. There is no need to expect or be frustrated. I just do my best to go to fall baseball."
However, of course, Yoon Dong-hee has his own goal. He explained that he always sets small goals, saying, `If you have too big a dream, you get more disappointed when you fail.'
Initially, the goal was to hit four hits in each of the three consecutive games, but it was also Yoon Dong-hee who was embarrassed that 198 came out when calculated. Reyes, who set a new record for the most hits in a season last year, has 202.
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When the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was mentioned, I recalled a smile again. Yoon Dong-hee said, "I want to challenge international competitions at any time, even if it's not WBC. If you want to wear the national flag again, you have to do well at Lotte," he reiterated.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
