Infielder Kwon Dong-jin (26), who is fulfilling his military service obligations with the Commerce, started at first base for the Southern All-Stars at the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Futures All-Star Game at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on May 5, going 1-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and one run scored in the team’s 9-5 victory.
“I got to play in the All-Star Game after taking my last year’s vacation,” Kwon said, “The managing director recommended it, and I had never been to the All-Star Game before, so I wanted to go. This year, the manager gave me a lot of good opportunities, especially this winter, and he taught me a lot of things. I’m really grateful,” he said of his participation in the All-Star Game.
Kwon Dong-jin is a highly touted college prospect who was selected by KT Wiz with the fifth overall pick in the second round of the 2021 KBO Draft out of SeAd-Wonkwangdae. With solid fundamentals, he was touted as a potential successor to starting shortstop Shim Woo-joon in his first year and showed promise in the regular season, batting .254 with one home run and six RBIs in 86 games. He then earned a spot on the Korean Series roster and won a championship ring in his rookie year.
In addition to his baseball skills,
Kwon has also garnered attention for his witty quips. When asked about his goals in his first spring training, he didn’t hesitate to mention the word Rookie of the Year, and with a serious look on his face, he named Choo Shin-soo, who was signed to SSG Landers at the time, as a contender. When he was informed that Choo Shin-soo was not eligible for Rookie of the Year due to KBO rules, he laughed and changed his target, saying, “Then I think it’s about Ahn Jae-seok of the Doosan Bears and Na Seung-yup of the Lotte Giants.”
Kwon, who played 134 games in the first team, enlisted in the military in January 2023 and is fulfilling his military service obligation with the Sangsang. After batting 2-for-4 with one home run and 18 RBIs in 52 games in the 2023 season, 무료 고스톱 게임 Kwon is now 14-for-5 with three RBIs in 14 games this year, and his discharge is a week away. Kwon’s scheduled discharge date is on the 15th.
“I was able to just play baseball without thinking about it. I played the baseball I wanted to play without being chased,” he said, “I feel like I’ve set my own course in terms of hitting. I was also able to relax my defense, so the results were good. I feel like I grew a lot more through my military experience.”
Kwon has only played 14 games this year because he injured his knee in late March and underwent surgery.
“I was expecting to miss some time this season,” he says, “but I was able to play right away because I was injured at the beginning of the year instead of right before I left the military. It wasn’t a major surgery, and I’m able to play fully now,” he explained.
Currently, KT’s infield is facing the challenge of both generational change and finding a starting second baseman. While the team has great infield resources in Hwang Jae-gyun and Kim Sang-soo, Hwang is 37 years old and Kim is 34, and the team has yet to find a successor to Park Kyung-soo at second base. Chun Sung-ho burst onto the scene early in the season, but his weaknesses on defense led to his transfer to Iksan. That’s why Lee Kang-cheol waited for Kwon Dong-jin, an infielder who can play defense.
“The coach wants players who are good at defense and quick on their feet. I think I’ve prepared accordingly, and I’ve done a good job at Sangsung.” “I’m confident that if I come back and keep playing my baseball, I’ll get my chance. When I return to KT, I will continue to work hard in my position,” he said.
He added, “I was very nervous before I went to the army, but if I don’t get nervous anymore and play my baseball, I will have a good chance. I may not be able to play a big role, but I will do my best to get another chance,” he added.