“Even with the error, hitting a home run on the first pitch in the next at-bat, he truly is a super rookie.”
Rookie infielder Park Joon-soon of the Doosan Bears made a remarkable appearance as the starting third baseman on the 8th in the away game against the NC Dinos held at Changwon NC Park on the 27th, achieving 3 hits (1 home run) and 3 runs batted in from 5 at-bats.
Park Joon-soon started the game gloomily after committing an error before showcasing his 3-hit performance. In the bottom of the first, leading 1-0, pitcher Kwak Bin chose third base after catching the bunt hit from Park Min-woo, but Park Joon-soon rushed to cover third base and failed to catch the ball. Kwak Bin then allowed Matt Davidson a 2-run double in a continued no-out full base situation, and subsequently gave up an RBI single to Kim Hwi-jip.
The situation, which could have led to 3 runs from the error, was daunting. However, Park Joon-soon’s mentality was strong. In the top of the second inning, with two outs and no base runners, he connected with the first pitch from NC starter Shin Min-hyeok’s 118 km/h changeup, turning it into a 115 m home run towards left field. This was a momentous home run that came after his debut in the first team and 28 games.
On the 28th, coach Jo Sung-hwan, who met in Changwon, could not hide his astonishment at Park Joon-soon's calm demeanor. Jo noted, “(Park) Joon-soon must have felt apologetic to senior Kwak Bin. It was a situation that suddenly arose due to a mistake that put us in a pinch. But after that incident, he hit a home run in his first at-bat. It confirmed that he has the strength to overcome challenges. If he had felt discouraged, he would have responded passively, but seeing him hit a home run on the first pitch made me think, indeed, he is a super rookie.”
He added, “Baseball is a sport where one can make up for their mistakes in any way possible. We play games every day, so as long as there's an opportunity, one can make amends at any time. That's why I always tell players that the chance to finish strong will come at the last at-bat. One shouldn't dig a hole for oneself just because they didn’t hit well in the first or second at-bats. The most important plate appearance could be the last one.”
After finishing the coaching briefing, I met with Park Joon-soon to hear the story behind his first home run. Park Joon-soon said, “I felt sorry to senior (Kwak) Bin for making an error in the first inning. Senior Bin jokingly said as he came down from the mound that I should just hit a home run, and I actually did, managing to make amends a little. Still, I felt a great sense of regret.”
Still, the moment of the first home run was thrilling. Park Joon-soon said, “The first home run came out earlier than I expected. I thought I wouldn’t be able to hit any this year at all” and laughed, adding, “Yesterday (the 27th), the ball came toward me while senior Kwon Hee-dong was running forward, and I didn’t expect it to go over. But suddenly it became a home run, and I was amazed.”
When asked if he felt intimidated after the error in his first at-bat, he maturely responded, “When I’m batting, I try not to think about my defense as much as possible. Defense and batting aren’t separate, are they? I just tried to focus on the at-bat I was given.”
Doosan selected infielder Park Joon-soon in the first round of the 2025 KBO Rookie Draft, not as a pitcher but as a position player, marking the first time in 16 years that they picked an infielder in the first round since Heo Kyung-min, who was selected 7th in the second round in 2009. Including the first overall pick, it's been 5 years since they selected an infielder first, since the first overall pick An Jae-seok in 2021. Park Joon-soon signed a professional contract with Doosan last October for a signing bonus of 260 million won.
Through early trials and errors, Park Joon-soon is steadily gaining experience with a batting average of .251, 1 home run, 3 runs batted in, 6 runs scored, and 3 stolen bases over 29 games. While there are still many mountains to overcome, he has been consistently given opportunities under interim coach Jo Sung-hwan and had a fruitful June.
Park Joon-soon expressed, “In the early season, I watched my peers doing well and felt envious. But now I feel like I’ve found my place, even if just a little. It's really nice to be able to show my baseball like this in games,” and added, “I feel that my skills are improving little by little. Now, the balls are starting to connect with the sweet spot, and I'm getting a lot of good hits. I don’t think I’m unable to hit once I adapt.”
Is the goal of winning the Rookie of the Year still valid? Park Joon-soon said with a smile, “It seems a little difficult since seniors like Ahn Hyun-min (KT Wiz) and Song Seung-gi (LG Twins) are doing so well,” adding, “I just want to finish the first half of the season safely without injuries and keep being in games. Without getting complacent, I want to take advantage of the opportunities that come my way and do my best.”
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