Rookie infielder Yeo Dong-wook (19) of the professional baseball team Kiwoom Heroes left a strong impression by hitting home runs in both his first at-bat in his professional debut and the last at-bat of the exhibition game.

On the 18th, Yeo Dong-wook started as the sixth baseman in the game against the Lotte Giants in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, recording 1 hit, 1 home run, 1 RBI, and 1 run in 4 at-bats.

Yeo Dong-wook, who was silent with no hits in his previous three at-bats, faced Lotte's closer Kim Won-jung with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, with the game tied 2-2. However, he did not miss a fastball clocked at 146 km/h on the third pitch and hit a go-ahead solo home run over the left-field wall. It was his second home run of the exhibition season. Thanks to Yeo Dong-wook's home run, Kiwoom extended their winning streak to three games and finished the exhibition season in a tie for third place (6 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses, winning percentage .667).

Yeo Dong-wook, who joined Kiwoom as the 27th overall pick in the third round of the 2025 rookie draft, stepped into his first plate appearance in the first team during the exhibition game against the NC Dinos held at NC Park in Changwon on the 8th. He made an impression by hitting a solo home run against right-handed pitcher Mok Ji-hoon.

After consistently getting opportunities during the exhibition season, Yeo Dong-wook concluded the exhibition with a batting average of .214 (6 hits in 28 at-bats), 2 home runs, 2 RBIs, 7 runs, and an OPS of .731. Until hitting a home run in his last at-bat, he had been struggling with poor performance, but he beautifully capped off the exhibition with a go-ahead home run.

In a post-game interview, Yeo Dong-wook said, “My batting hasn’t been great lately. Still, I’m really happy that I got a good result in my last at-bat preparing for the season. Since my batting isn't great right now, I want to improve it.”

Regarding hitting a home run against Lotte's closer Kim Won-jung, Yeo Dong-wook commented, “I thought he would challenge me since he is such a good pitcher. It seems that such a strategy led to a good result. To be honest, I’m not quite sure how I hit the home run. I was trying to hit it softly with two strikes, but that seemed to have resulted in a stronger hit.”

Like when he hit his first home run, Yeo Dong-wook displayed a flashy bat flip after this home run, stating, “I don't really do it on purpose. It just happens unconsciously when I hit a home run. I still don't know what to do. The coach said it’s fine to do it, so I should just focus on the ball in the plate. He mentioned it could actually help.”

When asked when his first regular season home run would come, Yeo Dong-wook laughed, saying, “I don’t think I can predict that.” Regarding comments that Daegu Samsung Lions Park, where the season opener is held, is a good place to hit home runs, he replied, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to go out in the opener. My batting isn't great,” but added, “The coach has given me opportunities until the end, so I tried to seize those opportunities.”

Yeo Dong-wook noted, “The coach has given many opportunities to rookies, including myself,” and added with a smile, “There’s only Director Hong Won-ki for me.” He mentioned, “Even though my feelings aren’t great right now, I’m grateful for the many opportunities I’ve received. I’ve been asking a lot for advice from my seniors and coaches. I think I need to organize various advice and experiences well as I enter the regular season.”

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