"Hitting a very important home run."
Hanwha Eagles manager Kim Kyung-moon praised the clutch home run ability of outfielder Lee Jin-young (28), who is blooming in his 10th year with the team. He noted that home runs come at very critical moments, changing the momentum and paving the way for victory. As a steadfast right-handed outfielder, he has earned recognition from the seasoned veteran manager.
Lee Jin-young hit a game-changing home run on the 2nd at the Gwangju-Kia Champions Field against the Kia Tigers in the 2025 professional baseball season. Trailing 0-1, he hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning with no outs and a runner on first to turn the game around to 2-1. It was a key play that reversed the momentum after being stifled by Adam Oller.
On that day, Hanwha won with a solo home run from No Si-hwan in the 11th inning after a tense 2-2 battle. Lee Jin-young's clutch ability, which changed the atmosphere with his go-ahead home run, stood out. He has played in 24 games this year, achieving a batting average of .339 with 3 home runs, 11 RBIs, 14 runs scored, and an OPS of .998, proving to be a reliable staple in the team's lineup.
Manager Kim noted, "Home runs usually happen when the score is significantly apart. Jin-young hits home runs when it is very important, which surprises me. Yesterday, a home run that turned the score from 0-1 to 2-1 was huge. I thought today might be difficult, but once it became 2-1, we were able to deploy the winning pitchers."
In fact, the other two home runs also came at decisive moments. The first home run was hit on April 5 against the Samsung Lions in Daegu. Trailing 2-5 in the top of the 8th inning with two outs and a runner on second, he hit a two-run homer to left field off Lim Chang-min to close the gap to one run. Hanwha went on to win 7-6 with a go-ahead three-run homer from Mun Hyun-bin in the top of the 9th.
The second home run came on April 29 against the LG Twins. Trailing 1-2, he led off the bottom of the 4th inning hitting a tying home run over the center fielder with a distance of 125 meters on a 2-2 count against Song Seung-ki. Following that, Shim Woo-jun hit the go-ahead home run, allowing Hanwha to win 3-2. Lee Jin-young’s contributions were the catalysts for all victories.
Manager Kim commented, "This player had an advantage that I didn't see when I arrived in June of last year. He has impressive wrist power. He has one of the strongest powers on our team. He put in significant effort during spring training. Initially, a lot of focus was on (Im) Jong-chan, but ultimately, a player who overcomes challenges becomes a star. He endured patiently and hit when his chance came; that’s how we won. It wasn't because I gave him numerous opportunities," and he applauded.
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