Can Kim Min-seok (20), who gained so much popularity that he was called “Little Lee Jung-hoo” in the 2023 season but suffered ups and downs in the 2024 season, be revived next year?
Kim Min-seok wore the Lotte uniform as the third overall pick in the first round of the 2023 rookie draft. The former Whimoon High School student has drawn much attention as he has been called “Little Lee Jung-hoo” compared to his senior Lee Jung-hoo. Lotte highly appreciated Kim’s outstanding contact skills and nominated him in the first round. 안전놀이터
He showed good performance during the 2023 season. Kim recorded a batting average of 0.255 with three homers and 39 RBIs in 129 games last season with an OPS of 0.653. He became the eighth player in Lotte history to achieve 100 hits (102 hits) for the first time as a high school graduate, and gained huge popularity as he was called a “sajik idol.”
Expectations were high for Kim ahead of the 2024 season, but his start was off to a rough start. He barely made it to the first team in April after suffering an abdominal muscle injury ahead of the opening of the season. Was it because he started the season belatedly? Kim lost his form in the 2023 season, and has become an ordinary hitter. He only hit 0.179 (5 hits in 30 times at bat) during April, and his batting average of 0.212 (7 hits in 36 times at bat) in May also remained the same.
While Kim has been sluggish, Hwang Sung-bin, Yoon Dong-hee, and Victor Reyes have firmly established themselves as key players in the Lotte outfield. Kim, who was the main player until the last season, has been reduced to a situation where he moves between the first and second teams. Having failed to settle down in the first division throughout the entire season, Kim ended the 2025 season with a poor performance with a batting average of 0.211 six RBIs and an OPS of 0.544 in 41 games.
Kim Min-seok, who suffered ups and downs in his second jinx in the 2024 season, desperately needs a rebound in next season. The problem is that the competition to become a starting pitcher in the outfield has become fiercer. Hwang Sung-bin and Yoon Dong-hee are leading the competition with Kim Min-seok. Reyes, who broke the KBO league record for the most hits (202 hits) in a single season, is also likely to renew his contract unless something unexpected happens. Choo Jae-hyun and Cho Se-jin are also threatening Kim Min-seok.
Kim Min-seok’s career is at a critical crossroads. If he fails to change the situation in the 2025 season, he is likely to become a colorless and odorless player. It remains to be seen how Kim Min-seok can overcome the current situation.
