Will the trade with Lotte Giants hit big again? A backup player who had been shuttling between the Lotte 2nd team until May transformed into a powerful fourth batter, swinging a batting average over .300 after transferring to KT Wiz.

On the 15th, Lee Jung-hoon (31), a transfer to KT, started as the designated hitter in the 7th match of the season against the Samsung Lions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, achieving 3 hits in 5 at-bats (1 home run), 2 RBIs, and 3 runs, leading his team to a 16-4 victory.

Following the Samsung game on the 14th, Lee Jung-hoon took on the fourth batting role again the next day. From his first at-bat, his bat was fierce. In the top of the first inning with 2 outs and a runner on first, he broke the tie with a two-run homer against Samsung's starting pitcher Choi Won-tae, hitting the fifth ball, a curve inside (123 km), for a decisive home run with a distance of 115 meters. It was the moment he activated his home run for two consecutive days after the previous day.

After a ground ball from the pitcher in the top of the third, Lee Jung-hoon, leading 8-2, successfully reached base with an infield error by the shortstop in the top of the fifth inning without any outs. He then scored after passing second and third base on Jang Sung-woo's double.

In the top of the sixth inning with a lead of 11-2 and 2 outs with a runner on first base, Lee Jung-hoon hit a single off the second pitch from left-handed Lee Seung-min, achieving his fourth multi-hit game of the season after 4 games since the match against the Lotte Giants on the 10th in Suwon. His reaching base also led to a run, as the next batter, Jang Sung-woo, hit a double, allowing the runners Kim Sang-su and Lee Jung-hoon to score.

Lee Jung-hoon's bat did not stop. With a substantial lead of 15-3 in the top of the eighth with 2 outs and no runners on, he hit a single off Kim Dae-ho's first pitch, completing his first 3-hit game of the season. This was the first time in 355 days since his 3-hit game on June 25 last year against the KIA Tigers during his time with Lotte.

Thanks to his 3 hits, Lee Jung-hoon significantly raised his batting average from .300 to .343. Other statistics, such as slugging percentage of .543, on-base percentage of .378, and OPS of .921, also changed to figures befitting a fourth batter.

After graduating from Whimoon High School and Kyunghee University, he was drafted in the 10th round as the 94th pick by KIA in the 2017 rookie draft. He experienced the pain of being released after the 2022 season. Subsequently, he extended his career with Lotte through a tryout, but, contrary to expectations, he did not make a significant impact in hitting and started the season in the 2nd team, spending 73 days there.

A team that desired Lee Jung-hoon was KT, which urgently needed to strengthen its batting lineup due to the injuries of Kang Baek-ho and Hwang Jae-gyun. On the 2nd, they traded left-handed prospect Park Se-jin, who was the first overall pick, specifically for Lee Jung-hoon. At that time, KT Director General Na Do-hyun noted, "Lee Jung-hoon is a left-handed batter with strong hitting abilities. We acquired him through trade to enhance our team’s offensive strength."

Just one day after the trade, Lee Jung-hoon's performance in June has exceeded expectations, filling one spot in KT's lineup. In 11 games (8 as a starter), he had multi-hit games against SSG Landers on the 6th and 7th, against Lotte on the 10th, and against Samsung on the 15th, showcasing a batting average of .444 (4 hits in 9 at-bats), with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs, hinting at a successful trade myth. His pinch-hitting average is also .333, providing a refreshing change to KT, which lacked suitable pinch-hitter resources.

Since joining the first team in 2015, KT has filled its shortcomings through trades with Lotte, and most players have written a success story. As of the morning of the 16th, looking at the first-team roster, the starting catcher Jang Sung-woo, infielders Lee Ho-yeon and Oh Yoon-seok are all from Lotte, while former players such as Bae Je-seong (military service), Shin Bon-ki (retired), Park Si-young (Lotte), and Kim Jun-tae have made their move to KT a turning point in their careers.

At the time of the trade on the 2nd, there were projections that Lee Jung-hoon might just break out at KT, but in just 11 games, those hopes are turning into reality.

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