The Hanwha Eagles' home has become more abundant than ever. Veteran catcher Lee Jae-won (37), who is entering his second season with Hanwha, is showing signs of revival with excellent condition while promoting the growth of younger catchers.

Lee Jae-won is one of the standout players in Hanwha's spring training exhibition games. After moving to the second camp site in Okinawa, Japan, he has been put into action, recording 3 hits in 8 at-bats, 2 RBIs, and 1 walk over 5 games. He has also hit 2 doubles, indicating that his power is returning.

What catches the eye more than his batting is his defensive ability. He has already showcased his sharp throwing ability with 4 stolen base attempts thwarted. In the practice game against the SSG Landers on the 27th, he consecutively prevented stolen bases by Jung Joon-jae in the 1st inning and Choi Ji-hoon in the 3rd inning. His throwing motion was quick, and the accuracy that followed with automatic tagging was remarkable. In the game against the KIA Tigers on the 25th, he induced a pick-off at first base with a 'RAY' throw, recording 5 outs.

Lee Jae-won, who is recognized for his ability to lead pitchers comfortably and mix pitches, revealed weaknesses in preventing stolen bases during his time with the SSG. While the responsibility for allowing stolen bases largely falls on the pitcher’s slide step, even taking that into account, Lee Jae-won's stolen base prevention rates for 2022 and 2023 were 9.8% and 15.4%, respectively, which were too low.

However, after joining Hanwha last year, he raised it to 27.9%. The environment for preventing stolen bases has become challenging due to the enlarged base sizes and the trial operation of pitch clocks, but he stood out as the 3rd among 18 catchers who played over 300 innings in stolen base prevention rates. With the introduction of ABS, the era of catcher framing has ended, and under the guidance of battery coach Kim Jung-min, he has achieved technical improvements.

This year as well, with improved stolen base prevention and defensive stability, his batting has come back to life, showing signs of a complete revival. Lee Jae-won has played for 18 years only with SK and SSG and has experienced a whopping 5 Korean Series championships. During the SK dynasty, he supported the team as a crucial backup and shone as a starting catcher in 2018 and 2022, leading the team to victory both offensively and defensively. After winning in 2018, he also landed a huge FA deal worth 6.9 billion won over 4 years without options.

However, after the FA contract, Lee Jae-won's performance kept declining, and he received a coaching offer from SSG after the 2023 season. But he left his hometown team, where he had spent 18 years, to extend his playing career and signed with Hanwha for the minimum salary of 50 million won. Last year, he played 72 games in the first team, effectively relieving starting catcher Choi Jae-hoon's burden. Recognizing his contributions, his salary has returned to 100 million won this year.

To prevent injuries, Lee Jae-won lost about 10 kg over the winter and is showcasing nimble movements, signaling the revival of the 'championship catcher.' This year, his wife and two children have also moved to Daejeon from Incheon, allowing him to focus even more on baseball.

Starting catcher Choi Jae-hoon has also lost more than 10 kg and looks noticeably slimmer, raising his performance smoothly with 2 hits in 6 at-bats and a stolen base prevention in 3 games during the camp's actual practices. Normally, only 2 catchers are included in the first team roster, and this year, it is becoming increasingly likely that Hanwha's lineup will be composed of Choi Jae-hoon and Lee Jae-won, as Hanwha aims for a top 5 finish that relies on experienced and well-conditioned catchers.

However, the growth of younger catchers is not slow either. Park Sang-eon (28), who gained experience as a backup catcher in the first team during 2022 and 2023, is currently performing well in this camp with 5 hits in 9 at-bats and 1 stolen base prevention over 5 games. Catching prospect Heo In-seo (22), who completed military service at Sangmu, is also showing good hitting form with 3 hits in 5 at-bats over 6 games. Even in situations limited to one at-bat per game, he continues to showcase his batting talent with a smooth swing.

Hanwha has been preparing for the next generation of catchers after Choi Jae-hoon for several years, and it is time for Park Sang-eon or Heo In-seo to establish themselves or gain experience in the first team. When Hanwha acquired Lee Jae-won from the free agency market last year, they regarded him as a temporary force to buy time until Heo In-seo's military discharge. However, Lee Jae-won is showing far better form than expected, which may prolong the time before Heo In-seo can be actively utilized. With Lee's resurgence, Hanwha's catcher position has become rich, and the likelihood of receiving trade inquiries from teams that experience holes in their catcher lineup during the season has increased.

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