Please come to see player Kim Min-seok (at the ballpark).

Doosan Bears manager Lee Seung-yeop mentioned a total of three players in response to the common question posed to the 10 KBO team managers, "Come to the ballpark to see this player this year," at the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO Media Day & Fan Fest held on the 20th.

For now, two players were quite familiar to Doosan fans. Manager Lee began by saying, "It would be disappointing if there was only one player," and added, "Please come to see the new captain Yang Eui-ji and the new closer Kim Taek-yeon."

Yang Eui-ji, who returned to Doosan for the 2023 season, wore the captain's armband for the first time in his third year of free agency, and Kim Taek-yeon, who shone as Rookie of the Year last year, took on the role of a full-time closer for the first time in his career.

The player who received the most attention was the one mentioned last. Manager Lee said, "Please come to see the new addition, Kim Min-seok," identifying the 21-year-old rookie as a key player for the 2025 season along with Yang Eui-ji and Kim Taek-yeon.

Doosan agreed to a massive 2-for-3 trade last November with the Lotte Giants, giving up rookie-of-the-year pitcher Jung Cheol-won and utility infielder Jeon Min-jae, while acquiring outfielders Kim Min-seok and Chu Jae-hyun, as well as pitcher Choi Woo-in. The trade was a bold move made in hopes that Kim Min-seok, who was called the second Lee Jung-hoo during his high school days, could become the second Jeong Soo-bin while wearing a Bears uniform.

Upon opening the lid, Kim Min-seok made an impression beyond expectations, properly marking his presence as a national hitter. He claimed the MVP at the second spring camp in Miyazaki, and in exhibition games, he continued his momentum with a batting average of .333 (10 hits in 30 at-bats) over 9 games, along with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored, a slugging percentage of .400, and an on-base percentage of .400. He took on the leadoff position previously held by Jeong Soo-bin, tested his potential, and passed at once, securing a spot on the opening roster and a starting leadoff position.

Kim Min-seok is an outfield superstar prospect who was selected third overall in the first round by Lotte in the 2023 rookie draft. In his debut year, he proved his competitiveness in the first team with a batting average of .255, 102 hits, 3 home runs, 39 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 129 games, and was selected as one of the top 12 KBO All-Stars for high school rookies, the fourth in history. Kim Min-seok reached 100 hits in his debut season, becoming the eighth high school rookie in KBO history to achieve this milestone.

Last season, Kim Min-seok suffered from a notorious second-year jinx, hitting for a batting average of .211 with 6 RBIs over 41 games. However, he is determined to use his transfer to Doosan as a turning point and recreate the glory of his debut year. Kim Min-seok said, "Since coming to Doosan, I have received a lot of attention, and I am grateful for that. Because of that, my desire to perform better has grown. I want to be a player who contributes to the team while competing throughout the season."

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