High school graduate rookie record revived after 30 years

In the opening game of the 2026 KBO professional baseball, two rookies from Yushin High School side by side rewrote a record from 30 years ago. KT infielder Lee Kang-min and Hanwha outfielder Oh Jae-won each recorded three hits in the opening game, igniting the competition for Rookie of the Year.

Lee Kang-min, who started as shortstop No. 9 in the opening game against LG held at Jamsil Stadium on the 28th, recorded 3 hits in 5 at-bats, 2 RBIs, and 1 run. In his first at-bat in the first inning, he showed off his presence by targeting LG ace Yoni Chirinos' first pitch and scoring a double, contributing to the team's 11-7 victory. It has been 30 years since Haitai Jang Seong-ho in 1996 that a rookie high school graduate hitter recorded three or more hits in his debut opening game.

On the same day, Jaewon Oh started as center fielder at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon. He recorded 3 hits and 1 run in 6 at-bats, becoming the third high school rookie in history to record 3 hits in an opening game after Lee Kang-min. Oh Jae-won also showed boldness in his first pitch strategy, starting with a single to left in the 3rd inning, followed by an infield hit in the 5th inning, and the third hit in the 8th inning.

A promising player trusted by both teams’ commanders

The two players were each selected highly in the 2026 rookie draft. Lee Kang-min was called by KT with the 16th overall pick in the second round, and Oh Jae-won joined Hanwha with the 3rd pick in the first round.

KT coach Lee Kang-cheol selected Lee Kang-min as a 'hit product' at the media day before the season and expressed his expectations, saying, "If rookie Lee Kang-min performs well, it will be a great help to the team's strength and popularity." Hanwha coach Kim Kyung-moon also expressed trust in Oh Jae-won, saying, "Even though he is a young player, he is very courageous and has solid fundamentals. He will perform well this year."

The duo from Yushin High School, who lived up to the expectations of the two head coaches from the first day, also started as starters on the second day of opening. On the 29th, Kang-min Lee reached base with no hits and a walk in the game against LG in Jamsil, and Jae-won Oh recorded 1 hit and 2 RBIs in 5 at-bats in the game against Kiwoom in Daejeon, contributing to the team's 10-4 victory.

Friends and rivals, rookies growing together

The two players, who are close friends, are actually happy to see each other as rivals. Lee Kang-min said, "We are really close friends, so it's fun to have a rivalry. If we have a rivalry together, we will grow together more."

LG coach Yeom Kyeong-yeop also gave a favorable review, saying, "Lee Kang-min was good," even though he was a player from another team, and "The league will only develop when there are a lot of young players." Thanks to the outstanding performance of rookies, KT and Hanwha started the season smoothly by winning both of their opening two games.