Will Lotte Giants’ “next generation star” Yoon Dong-hee (21) be able to play on the ground again with the national flag.
Yoon Dong-hee wore the Lotte uniform as the 24th pick in the second third round of the 2022 Rookie Draft. Having mainly played in the Futures League in the 2022 season, he showed impressive performance in the second division. Yoon displayed potential by batting .310 with six home runs, 28 RBIs and an OPS of 0.839, a batting average of 77 games. 안전놀이터
He applied to the Sangmu Baseball Team after the end of the 2022 season, but he was the only Lotte player who failed. It was a blessing in disguise for him to be rejected by the team. Since starting from the 2023 season, Yoon has displayed stellar performance with a batting average of 0.287 with two home runs, 41 RBIs and an OPS of 0.687 in 107 games. He also achieved 100 hits (111 hits) for the first time in the club’s history.
As a starting outfielder backed by manager Kim Tae-hyung’s confidence, Yoon posted a batting average of 0.293 with 14 homers, 85 RBIs and an OPS of 0.829, in 141 games. He has improved one notch from the previous season. By hitting 156 hits, he became the first batter under the age of 21 to reach 150 hits in Lotte’s history. In addition to his existing position as a right fielder, he also played center field, and improved his ability to digest positions.
What stood out the most was the development of his slugging ability. For the first time since his debut, Yoon has hit 14 double-digit home runs. His slugging percentage also rose from 0.354 in the 2023 season to 0.453, paving the way for him to become a mid- to long-range hitter. Along with Na Seung-yeop, Ko Seung-min, and Hwang Sung-bin, Yoon has become a key resource among Lotte fans, who have even been called “Yoon Na-ohwang.”
Now, Yoon’s sights are set on the Premier 12. He has been listed on the 35-member roster for Team Korea training for the 2024 WBSC Premier 12. As Yoon performed well in the 2024 season, he is highly likely to join the final roster of the Premier 12, unless he gets injured. He is the only right-handed hitter among the eight outfielders who made the roster, which raises the possibility of his selection.
Yoon has already demonstrated his capabilities for the national team. Selected at the last minute due to the injury of Lee Eui-ri of the KIA Tigers in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, he had a hit in the entire Asian Games, making a remarkable contribution to Korea’s gold medal. It remains to be seen whether Yoon will be included in the Premier 12 shortlist to prove his status as a next-generation star.
