“My goal is to make the first team and get my first professional hit.”

For Hanwha Eagles infield prospect Lee Min-jun, the goal is to get his first hit with the first team.

A product of Hwagok-cho, Gangnam-joong, and Jangchung-go, Lee is a right-handed hitting infielder. Primarily a shortstop, he was selected by Hanwha with the 21st overall pick in the third round of the 2023 KBO Draft.먹튀검증

Despite being in his first year as a professional, Lee hasn’t done too badly in the Futures (second team) league. After spending the first part of the season in the Nurture League (third team), he gradually increased his starts in the Futures League and eventually established himself as a mainstay. In the first half of the season, he batted .267 with one home run, 12 RBIs, and eight runs scored in 17 games.

Recognizing his potential, Lee was named to the Pro First Team at the end of the first half and was also honored with a spot on the Futures All-Star team.

When we caught up with him before the Futures All-Star Game in Busan on the 14th, he first spoke about his good performance, saying, “It’s good to see that my preparation is paying off. I drew images every time I trained, and thanks to this, I was less nervous when I played. I think that’s why the results came out the way they did,” he says with a smile.

His time in the army helped him immensely. “I got my start in the national team. I thought that if I made it to the Futures League, it would be an opportunity,” he says. “I worked hard in the developmental league so that I wouldn’t miss the opportunity. I tried to listen to what the coaches were telling me. With their help, I was able to work on my problems.”

He continued, “I did a lot of weight training and defense training. Hitting in the pros is different from high school. I had to adapt to the pitches and work on my delivery more than I thought,” he said, adding, “The power is definitely different. I think I need to work on my quickness a lot because my batting speed is high. It was also hard to catch one or two feet away, so I’ll have to work on that a lot.”

The experience of being called up to the first team at the end of the first half was a great asset and motivation for Lee.

“I never thought I would make it to the first team, but suddenly I was called up. I was nervous and excited, but when I went up, the fans and seniors made me feel comfortable. Thanks to them, I adapted quickly. The first team was similar (to what I imagined), but it was definitely different from the second team because there were a lot of spectators. I tried not to be nervous, but when I went out there, I was nervous,” he said, adding, “I had been to the first team once, so I knew how to take my chances and survive. I think it gave me a foundation for how to prepare for the second half of the season. I think it was very important for me to go to the first team.”

In conclusion, Lee Min-joon said his goal for the second half of the season is to be called up to the first team. In the second half of the year, I also want to go to the first team and get my first professional hit,” he said firmly.

He also talked about his strengths, saying, “In defense, I am confident that I will not be left behind. On the offensive side of the ball, I can produce strong hitting.” Lee proved his point by going 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI, and two runs scored in the Futures All-Star Game after this interview.