He was drafted for the future, and he’s delivering in the present.
카지노 Moon Hyun-bin, 18, was selected by the Hanwha Eagles in the second round, 11th overall, from Bukil High School. Born and raised in Daejeon, Moon attended Daejeon Yucheon High School and Onyang Middle School while pursuing his dream of becoming a baseball player. His solid defense at shortstop and ability to make contact at the plate, as well as his one-hit power, caught the eye of many scouts, and he was selected to play for his hometown team, Hanwha.
Since his first year in the organization, Moon has made a name for himself. This year, he was invited to the first team’s spring training camp in Arizona, USA. Among the rookies, Moon Hyun-bin and Kim Seo-hyun stood out, and it’s no exaggeration to say that they were highly anticipated by the club. As a newcomer to the professional ranks, Moon had to fight for a spot on the opening roster against a group of established seniors.
Hanwha moved him to the outfield to take advantage of his hitting ability. The team already had Oh Seon-jin at shortstop to fill in for a suspension for drunk driving, and Golden Glove winner Jung Eun-won at second base, so former manager Carlos Suvero gave Moon a chance to play in the middle infield.
Moon Hyun-bin. Hanwha Eagles
With more playing time, Moon has been gaining experience. Even after Choi Won-ho took over as head coach, Moon continued to play regularly. More recently, with Jung Eun-won demoted to the second team, Moon has taken his place. Considering he’s a rookie, he’s shown decent defense.
His batting is also getting better by the day. He’s still on a growth curve. In 98 games this season, Moon is batting .256 (80-for-312) with three home runs, 29 RBIs and four doubles. “It’s not easy for a high school rookie to hit like this,” said Choi Won-ho.
“When we gave him a chance to bat (during the rebuild), there was no one who had a batting average in the mid-2s,” Choi said. “In light of that, I think he has the ability to hit. He can get better with experience. He is still lacking in initiative, but he has the ability to hit the ball,” he said.
Moon Hyun-bin ⓒReporter Kwak Hye-mi
Moon Hyun-bin ⓒKyun Hye-mi Reporter
Despite being a rookie, Moon has established himself as a key member of the team. At the time of his draft, he was considered a replacement for Jeong Eun-won when he was away on military duty. While he may not be the starting second baseman right away, it was expected that he would be anchoring Hanwha’s center field in the not-too-distant future.
However, Moon has been playing second base for Hanwha since his first year. Although he is still a rookie and has a lot to learn, he has shown unlimited potential for growth. If he gains more experience, he could become one of the best second basemen in the league.