Following his transfer to Lotte, a nameless player, who had been a perennial backup at Doosan for seven years, has risen to fame as a renowned figure discussed in a soup restaurant in Gangnam. How could Jeon Min-jae (26), who was more accustomed to life in the second team than in the first, climb to the top of the batting average rankings?

As of the morning of 28th, the top player in the batting institutional sector of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League is not Son Ah-seop (NC Dinos), known as the master of hitting, nor Kim Hyun-soo (LG Twins). Jeon Min-jae, who was close to being a nameless player until last year, is currently leading with a batting average of .378.

It's not just a high batting average. With a slugging percentage of .489 and an on-base percentage of .417, his OPS stands at .906 (10th in the league) and his batting average with scoring opportunities is .423 (6th in the league). Furthermore, he has consistently showcased solid defense, erasing concerns about the shortstop position at Lotte.

Met at Jamsil on the 27th, Jeon Min-jae noted, 'Other than the fact that my thoughts have changed compared to the past, there's nothing else. I just made my thoughts a little easier, and as the results continued to come, my confidence grew. Since the results at the plate are good, it allows me to attempt bold plays.'

Technically, he has reduced his effort at the plate compared to before. Jeon Min-jae said, 'I think of it as swinging with only 50% of my strength. I try to hit as if I am batting in an indoor cage, resulting in more balls in play. With luck on my side, I have been getting many hits lately.'

Jeon Min-jae graduated from Daejeon High School and entered the professional league as the 40th pick in the 4th round of the Doosan second draft in 2018. However, he could not break through Doosan's deep infield depth and found himself bouncing around Icheon, while also fulfilling his military service as an active-duty soldier rather than with the Army. Until last year, Jeon Min-jae's career record over seven seasons in the first team included 177 games, a batting average of .255, 82 hits, 37 RBIs, and an OPS of .604. Excluding the 100 games played last year, he only participated in 77 games in his first six years since debuting.

Jeon Min-jae left his beloved Doosan through a trade last November and donned a Lotte uniform. At the time of the trade, the focus was on the performances of promising rookie Jeong Cheol-won and outfield prospect Kim Min-seok, but as it turned out, Jeon Min-jae has been racing to the top of the batting charts, writing the trade's profit-and-loss statement.

During his time at Doosan, being a backup weighed heavily on him, as he had to make a strong impact with the limited opportunities he received. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung recalled, 'During my time at Doosan, I brought Jeon Min-jae up based on his strong performance in the second team, but he got too nervous and stumbled.' Now, however, he has the composure of a starter, knowing that even if he doesn't perform well today, he could still be in the lineup tomorrow.

Jeon Min-jae explained, 'The mindset when playing is definitely different between being a backup and a starter. I know that just because I don't perform well today doesn't mean I won't play tomorrow, so I approach games without pressure.'

When asked if he feels the change in status or popularity lately, he shared an amusing episode. Jeon Min-jae recounted, 'There was an incident yesterday (the 26th) when I went to a soup restaurant in Cheongdam-dong with Jang Du-seong, and a baseball game was playing on TV. Then, a man at the next table remarked, “Jeon Min-jae just came to Lotte and is doing well.” We exchanged smiles while trying to hold back laughter, eating our meal. That man didn't recognize me.'

As his popularity has increased, Jeon Min-jae plans to pay more attention to fan service. He said, 'I definitely feel that the cheers from the citizens of Busan are different every day,' adding, 'To be honest, these days, I'm really happy every day, and my commute is enjoyable. I try to sign for as many fans as possible on my way to work.'

When asked about his goals for the remainder of the season, he could have mentioned lofty dreams such as being the batting leader or being in the key lineup, but Jeon Min-jae stated, 'I haven't checked my batting rankings. I found out I was number one because people around me kept telling me.' He added, 'I have no desire for a particular batting order. I prefer hitting in the 8th or 9th position. There are many players with much better skills than me, so I think this is the right fit for me.'

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