Ryu Hyun-in, who is active in the Military team, has reclaimed the top spot in the Futures League batting rankings, surpassing his teammate Han Dong-hee.
On the 26th, Ryu Hyun-in started as the second baseman in the game against the KIA Tigers held at Mungyeong Stadium in the 2025 Futures League. He went 3 for 3 with two walks, one RBI, and two runs scored, thus rising to first place in the Futures League batting rankings.
That day, Military engaged in a slugfest with KIA. KIA scored first with a sacrifice fly from Byun Woo-hyeok in the first inning with no outs and a runner on all bases, followed by a wild pitch from the pitcher and a two-run home run by Shin Myung-seung to make it 4-0. With two outs and a runner on first, Kang Min-jae's double to left-center increased the lead to 5-0.
Ryu Hyun-in reached base with a single to left field in his first at-bat after one out in the first inning when they were down 0-5. Han Dong-hee struck out on a full count. After walking consecutively, the bases were loaded with two outs, but they failed to score.
Military closed the gap in the second inning with a two-run home run from Jeong Dae-seon, making it 2-5, followed by Ryu Hyun-in selecting a walk to reach base with two outs. Han Dong-hee was out on a ground ball to the shortstop, ending the attack.
In the fourth inning, trailing 2-6, Military created a scoring opportunity with a walk from Kim Jae-sang and a double to the right from Kim Hyun-jun, putting runners on second and third with no outs. They scored one run on Jeong Dae-seon's ground ball to shortstop. With two outs and a runner on second, Ryu Hyun-in hit a timely single to right, bringing the score to 4-6. Han Dong-hee struck out.
In the sixth inning, with the score at 4-8 and one out, Ryu Hyun-in calmly selected a walk, leading to a bases-loaded opportunity. Han Dong-hee went down on a Samjin, and Lee Jae-won received a walk that forced in a run. After a wild pitch by the pitcher, the score narrowed to 6-8. With two outs and the bases loaded, Jeon Ui-san's timely single to right brought in two runs, and an error by the right fielder led to a 9-8 comeback.
Ryu Hyun-in created a scoring chance with a single to left field in the seventh inning with two outs and a runner on first. Han Dong-hee and Lee Jae-won each got hit by pitches, bringing in a run to make it 10-8. Yoon Jun-ho hit a double down the left field line, extending the lead to 12-8.
Military allowed Lee Woo-seong to hit a two-run single in the eighth inning but held KIA's rally to 12-10, securing the victory. Military extended their winning streak to 16 games, setting a new record for the most consecutive wins in the Futures League.
Ryu Hyun-in, a graduate of Dankook University, was drafted by the KT Wiz in the 7th round, 70th overall, in the 2023 rookie draft. He gained attention on the baseball reality show 'Strongest Baseball' prior to the draft. In 2023, he played in 17 games in the first team, recording a batting average of .130 (3 hits in 23 at-bats). He enlisted in the military in June last year and is set to be discharged this December.
By the end of April, Ryu Hyun-in boasted a batting average of .500. However, on the 8th against Samsung, he recorded no hits in four at-bats, dropping his average to .424. His teammate Han Dong-hee became the league's batting leader with a .430 average.
In the last five games, Ryu Hyun-in has hit 11 hits in 21 at-bats (.524), and he has risen back to an average above .430. Han Dong-hee was silent in the game against KIA on the 26th, failing to secure a hit in four at-bats, bringing his average down to .429. Ryu Hyun-in reclaimed the batting title after 18 days. Han Dong-hee remains first in home runs, RBIs, hits, and runs scored.
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