Yoon Dong-hee on the verge of ‘3 for 3’, Lotte’s hope still alive

Lotte Giants’ Yoon Dong-hee, 20, has been the most dominant hitter in the KBO Rookie of the Year race this season, and he’s on the verge of reaching the plate.

Yoon has 361 at-bats in 93 games this season. Lotte has played 118 games and is currently just four at-bats shy of reaching the regular season. If he starts and gets four at-bats in each of the next five games, he will be able to get into the regular season.

Hitters with 3 percent of the plate appearances are extremely rare. This season, there are only 12 of them across 10 teams. Yoon will be the only Lotte player to reach the plate, which will be a huge boost for the team as well as the individual.안전놀이터

The key is to maintain his batting average. He’s currently batting .302 on the season, which is encouraging as his hitting cycle is picking up in the final stretch of the regular season. Yoon Dong-hee’s season batting average briefly dipped below .265 (9-for-34) in eight games against the Gochuk Kiwoom Heroes on March 20, but he has since rebounded with a .389 (7-for-18) batting average in six games against the Ulsan Samsung Lions on March 5.

At his current pace, he’s a legitimate candidate for Rookie of the Year honors. Rookie of the Year honors have rarely been awarded to a third baseman in regulation, even in the 41-year history of the league. There have only been 19 hitter winners, and only eight of them have won the award. Recent examples are also rare, with Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom Heroes – batting .324) being the last, six years ago. Notably, second-year pro Yoon Dong-hee only had 13 at-bats with the first team last year, so he fits the rules for KBO Rookie of the Year eligibility (60 at-bats within five years, excluding the current year).

There is also a lot of interest in whether Yoon will solve Lotte’s long-standing problem. While showing the qualities to be a starter in the first team is a big win for Lotte, having a Rookie of the Year winner is something the organization has wanted for a long time. Lotte hasn’t had a Rookie of the Year winner in 30 years, since pitcher Yeom Jong-seok in 1992. It is the oldest of the current 10 clubs.

Lotte Giants’ Yoon Dong-hee, 20, has been the most dominant hitter in the KBO Rookie of the Year race this season, and he’s on the verge of reaching the plate. Yoon has 361 at-bats in 93 games this season. Lotte has played 118 games and is currently just four at-bats shy of reaching the regular…