Hanwha Eagles rookie infielder Lee Seung-hyun (23) decorated his first at-bat in his professional debut with a triple. Eight months ago, he almost gave up baseball after going unselected in the draft, but now he finds himself in this emotional moment.

Lee Seung-hyun came to bat as a pinch hitter for Hwang Young-mook with two outs and a runner on third base in the top of the ninth inning during the away game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome on Oct. 10. As Hanwha extended their lead to 8-1, manager Kim Gyeong-mun gave Lee Seung-hyun the chance to hit.

Lee Seung-hyun connected with a fastball at 148 km/h from Kiwoom's sidearm pitcher Won Jong-hyun, sending a line drive that fell to the left of center field. Kiwoom's center fielder Lee Ju-hyung attempted a diving catch but failed to secure it. As the ball rolled behind him, Lee Seung-hyun advanced from first to third base. It was a one-RBI triple that extended the score to 9-1. He recorded both his first hit and his first RBI in his debut.

Lee Seung-hyun's triple in his first at-bat is the ninth instance in KBO League history and occurred less frequently than a rookie's first home run (21 instances). Following Samsung's Jeong Gu-wang (March 27, 1982, vs. MBC), Samsung's Hong Soon-ho (June 30, 1985, vs. Cheongbo), OB's Kim Jong-seong (June 25, 1993, vs. Haitai), Hyundai's Ji Seok-hun (September 29, 2004, vs. SK), Doosan's Jo Hyeon-geun (June 7, 2005, vs. Samsung), Doosan's Kim Dong-gil (August 21, 2010, vs. Lotte), Hanwha's Lee Chang-yeol (July 13, 2014, vs. Doosan), and Samsung's Yang Do-geun (September 1, last year, vs. KIA), Lee Seung-hyun became the ninth player to achieve this record.

Lee Seung-hyun, a right-handed, left-handed infielder from Pohang Steel High School and Sungkyunkwan University, joined Hanwha as a developmental player this year. After not being selected in the draft during high school, he entered college, but his name was also not called in the 2025 rookie draft held in September last year.

Lee Seung-hyun noted, "On the day of the draft, I was playing a game and learned during the match that I was not selected. I didn't get selected in high school, and after entering college, I worked hard for four long years. I was hoping to get selected after performing decently in my senior year, so it was really disappointing. I thought to myself, 'Is this the end for me?' but Hanwha gave me a great opportunity. I was just happy to have entered professional baseball, even as a developmental player."

On the last day of the 11th round, Hanwha, who had been contemplating selecting Lee Seung-hyun, reached out to him, and he signed a contract as a developmental player following a test the day after the draft. He then caught the attention of the first-team coaching staff faster than expected. Manager Kim Gyeong-mun, who pays attention to hidden potential and determination without being bound by the draft order, noted Lee Seung-hyun’s defensive skills during first-team training held in Daejeon shortly after the season. Unusually, Kim Gyeong-mun included him in the Japanese Miyazaki finishing camp and brought him along to the first spring camp in Australia, Melbourne.

During the Melbourne camp, Lee Seung-hyun said, "To be honest, I didn't expect to be called up to spring camp, so I was surprised to be invited. I'm honored that the manager has given me such a big opportunity, and all I can think about is that I need to do better," and added, "Developmental players can be registered for the first team starting in May. I will work hard to be called up in May."

After completing the first camp, Lee Seung-hyun was assigned to the Futures team, but his goal of being called up in May became a reality. He recorded a batting average of .280 (7 hits in 25 at-bats), 4 RBIs, and a .419 on-base percentage with a .440 slugging percentage and OPS of .859 over 8 games in the Futures League before officially converting to a registered player on the 5th. His jersey number changed from three digits (112) to two digits (60), and he was included in the first team roster ahead of the Daejeon Samsung game on the 6th, filling the spot of injured Ahn Chi-hong.

Manager Kim Gyeong-mun commented on Lee Seung-hyun, saying, "I’ve been watching him since camp; he’s a player with many strengths. He may not be tall (172 cm, 77 kg), but he can be used defensively when the team needs him. He has solid defensive fundamentals and can play shortstop or second base, and he’s also prepared to play third base if necessary." He played shortstop during his time at Sungkyunkwan University and has been preparing for all infield positions after joining Hanwha.

On the 7th, Lee Seung-hyun played his debut game against Samsung in Daejeon. He entered as a pinch runner for Choi Jae-hoon in the bottom of the seventh inning and scored his first run by touching home plate on Shim Woo-jun's double to left field. Then, in the top of the eighth inning, Lee Seung-hyun went into the second base position and left a strong impression with an RBI triple on the first pitch in his debut at-bat on the 10th. Eight months ago, he was on the verge of quitting baseball due to not being selected in the draft, but he seized the opportunity presented by Hanwha.

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