He is back. When he was a junior in high school, he had a batting average of 0.506 (40 hits in 79 times at bat), five homers, a slugging percentage of 0.873, and an OPS of 1.463 in 22 games. The Lotte Giants boldly picked him as the fourth overall pick in the second round of the 2022 KBO Rookie Draft. It was the first time in three years that Lotte picked a fielder, not a pitcher, in the first round since Ko Seung-min in 2019. That means he has great potential.안전놀이터
Cho Se-jin: Fans expected a long hit, but his performance in his first year in the pro league was humble. He had a hit from his debut game and became the youngest player in Lotte history (18 years, 4 months and 22 days) to post multi-hits. He seemed to have wings to play. However, he found himself in the top pro league. His final performance in the 2022 season was only 0.186 (16 hits in 86 times at bat) and 0.416, OPS. After the end of the season, he left for Sangmu and was discharged from the military in November last year.
How strong has he become in Sangmu? An international newspaper team of reporters met with Cho Se-jin, who is in the midst of tempering to return to the top-tier Korean pro team this year.
"Thank you very much," Cho said, smiling brightly at the news team's greeting that congratulates him on his discharge from the military service. After joining the military, Cho tried various batting postures and timing that he wanted to perform. As a result, he also experienced trial and error. In 2023, the first season of the military, he had a batting average of 0.214 (15 hits in 70 times at bat), two homers and a slugging percentage of 0.343.
However, based on this process, he has gradually improved. In the 2024 season, he played in three times more games than the previous year, posting a batting average of 0.261 (79 hits in 303 times at bat), eight homers, and a slugging percentage of 0.406. "I'm finding my own thing as I know what to put in more and take out," he said. "Now, I'm learning from the hitting coaches of the Lotte Giants."
Cho was named MVP at the Futures League All-Star Game last year, drawing attention. It was a vacation day, but she participated at the recommendation of her coach and coach. She hit a three-run shot to lead her team to victory. She showed off three hits, one homer and three RBIs in three times at bat, and naturally won the MVP award. "I thought of 'let's learn and go' while playing with good players," Cho recalled of the game.
Cho joined a rookie camp at the Lotte Giants' Sangdong Baseball Stadium to train his skills. "I think it's a process to prepare to use 100% of my strength and more," Cho said when asked what he wants to achieve at the rookie camp. "I'm training by taking the basics and reflecting on my hitting posture."
Victor Reyes, who had the most hits in a single KBO season by posting 202 hits, Yoon Dong-hee, who posted a career-high with the Asian Games gold medal, and Hwang Sung-bin, who ranked third overall in the KBO with 51 stolen bases, gained a solid footing. This is why the competition for Lotte outfielders is expected to be fierce this season.
Will Cho be able to squeeze into a spot in the Lotte outfield? Cho said that his strength to survive as an outfielder is his "punch ability." "Lotte outfielders have very good strengths," Cho said. "Heavy strength can only be linked to performance if skill and contact are supported, so we will focus on the hitting areas."
Cho's goal this season is to get into the first team as soon as possible and stay one more day. "I think I have to be in the first team to be the starting point of my record," Cho said. "I try to focus on what I can do now rather than the future."
More details of the interview with Cho Se-jin can be found in the video above or on the YouTube channel of the international newspaper.
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