Professional baseball rookie outfielder Kang Min-seong of the Samsung Lions, who has never experienced hitting success since turning pro, created a major incident (?).

Kang Min-seong started as the No. 9 right fielder in the away game against the Lotte Giants in the Futures League held at the Sangdong Baseball Stadium in Gimhae on the 28th. Until the day of the game, he had not hit a single home run, but he launched his debut first consecutive home runs.

With a 1-0 lead in the second inning with two outs and runners on second and third base, Kang Min-seong, who was out on a fly ball to center field, connected with the first pitch from Lotte's starting pitcher Jeong Woo-jun in the fourth inning, where they were trailing 2-3 with two outs and a runner on first, resulting in a consolidation two-run home run.

In the seventh inning, trailing 4-6, Kang Min-seong stepped up as the lead-off hitter. He hit the third pitch from the second pitcher Hyeon Do-hoon with a ball count of 2B-0S and sent it flying over the left field fence. Kang Min-seong left the game in the ninth inning after a strikeout by the catcher.

Kang Min-seong, who is from Ansan Technical High School, played in 24 games last year, recording a batting average of .326 (30 hits in 92 at-bats), 3 home runs, 27 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, and an OPS of .996. He played as a third baseman or shortstop in high school but switched to the outfield to maximize his offensive capabilities after turning pro.

Last month, during the Futures Camp in Okinawa, Japan, hitting coach Park Han-yi and outfield defense coach Park Chan-do praised Kang Min-seong's training attitude. Coach Park Han-yi said, “His aggressive stance at the plate is good. When he sees the ball, he swings boldly. That is the most appealing aspect and also the most important part as a batter. As for his training attitude, there is nothing to say. It's really good.”

Coach Park Chan-do noted, "Although he is still lacking, his training attitude is excellent. His willingness to learn is good, so his growth rate is fast. I appreciate his hard work."

Meanwhile, Samsung lost to Lotte 5-8. Starting pitcher Jeong Min-seong recorded 4 innings, 4 hits allowed (1 home run), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 4 earned runs. Following him were Yang Hyeon (2 innings, 3 hits allowed, 2 walks, 1 strikeout, 2 earned runs) and Choi Ha-neul (2 innings, 3 hits allowed, 3 walks, 1 strikeout, 2 earned runs).

Rookie infielder Shim Jae-hoon, who played as the No. 2 second baseman, also hit a game-tying solo home run in the third inning while trailing 1-2, and rookie outfielder Hwang Su-ho added runs and RBIs.

[OSEN]