A young, promising military-eligible infielder has emerged in the aging professional baseball KT infield. He has already successfully completed hellish training at spring camp, and plans to gradually gain experience this year as a backup shortstop, with the ambition to grow into a reliable field commander for the Wizard Corps in the future.
The rookie infielder Yoon Jun-hyuk (24·KT Wiz) is considered the player who trained the most at the KT spring camp held in Australia and Japan. Following the coaching philosophy of Manager Lee Kang-cheol, which emphasizes that 'one must be able to defend in order to be used in the first team,' Yoon Jun-hyuk was assigned to the 'special group' upon entering Australia, receiving intense fungo training to enhance his defensive skills. He fell and fell again, ending up with his uniform covered in dirt, striving to break through the KT infield, populated with national team players.
Surprisingly, this was training that Yoon Jun-hyuk volunteered for. Recently met in Suwon, Yoon Jun-hyuk said, "Of course it is important to establish a place this year, but above all, I wanted to take on a lot of training in defense. I spent the mornings solely focused on defense in the special group, and it was truly a great time. I received the most fungos since I started playing baseball. Initially, I mainly practiced as a shortstop, but then moved to Japan to also train as a third baseman."
He added, "It was difficult training, but it wasn't a forced atmosphere. We voluntarily shouted out encouragement, and under the goal of improving our defense, we worked hard, which really helped."
The reason Yoon Jun-hyuk shed such thick drops of sweat is that the time has come for him to start yielding some results in the first team. Coming from Chungam High School, Yoon Jun-hyuk was selected in the 4th round of the second 2020 rookie draft at the 32nd pick, making him a six-year infielder. However, it wasn't until the 2024 season, in his fifth year, that he made his first team debut, posting a batting average of .176 (3 hits in 17 at-bats) over 13 games due to limited opportunities.
Yoon Jun-hyuk was not a standout player in the Futures League either. He struggled with a batting average of .200 over 61 games in 2020, .225 over 70 games in 2021, and .068 over 17 games in 2022. He ultimately enlisted in June 2022, fulfilling his military service obligations. He was deployed to the frontlines of Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, where he performed the duties of a guard soldier, enduring particularly hot summers and extremely cold winters.
Yoon Jun-hyuk reflected, "It was not an easy military life. It was so hard that I often thought about how good it was playing baseball." He noted, "Fortunately, the platoon leader and company commander really liked baseball, so they set up a net for me to train and brought me balls. Thanks to that, I was able to continue playing baseball within the unit from when I was a corporal. I am very grateful for that."
Yoon Jun-hyuk, who was honorably discharged in December 2023, was called up by Manager Lee Kang-cheol to gain valuable experience in the first team despite interruptions in his career due to his military service. This ultimately led to his participation in the first team spring camp this year, where Manager Lee Kang-cheol marked Yoon Jun-hyuk as the backup for starting shortstop Kim Sang-soo. Initially, attempts were made to utilize Hwang Jae-kyun, who was pushed out from third base, across various infield positions, but to nurture newcomers like Yoon Jun-hyuk, Hwang Jae-kyun's position was fixed as third and first base.
Upon hearing the plan, Yoon Jun-hyuk stated, "The manager has been giving me many opportunities since last year. While it is true that I am eager for a position this year, I am trying to do my best in every moment while not letting those thoughts distract me and focusing on what I want to do."
The senior Yoon Jun-hyuk relies on the most as he dreams of rising to a starting infielder is the top-level third baseman Huh Kyung-min, who has become his new teammate. Yoon Jun-hyuk shared, "I constantly follow (Huh) Kyung-min and (Kim) Sang-soo hyung to seek advice, and Kyung-min hyung always says that defense can be covered by effort. He instills confidence in me." He also added, "Another thing is that while training, I was amazed by Kyung-min's handling. His ability to respond in the moment when a ball is hit is really impressive. I want to become a defender like that in the future."
His mentor at the plate is the 'genius hitter' Kang Baek-ho. Yoon Jun-hyuk explained, "Before I went to the army, I had no confidence in hitting. So after being discharged, I thought I needed to build my own skills, and during this camp, (Kang) Baek-ho hyung provided me with good direction. The most memorable thing he said was to never doubt it and to push forward with what I want to do. That was really valuable advice."
Yoon Jun-hyuk's goal this year is to secure a spot on the opening roster and to confirm his name by playing at least 50 games in the first team. He stated, "It’s true that I am excited about making the opening roster, but that is not something I can control. My focus is on doing my part well. I have always dreamed of playing at least 50 games in the first team. I do have a strong desire this year, but I will not set numeric goals and will strive to perform well in what I have to do."
Yoon Jun-hyuk did not forget to greet the KT fans who have quietly supported him since he joined in 2020. Gaining popularity as the handsome infielder of KT, he promised, "I know that the fans have high expectations. I can feel that, and I will repay that with results that match those expectations."
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