"I think I can be as good as Kang Baek-ho ."

This is what a professional team scout A said while recalling Shin Jae-in (17, Yushin High School)'s freshman year.

Kang Baek-ho, who is still called a genius hitter with a total of 95 home runs in the KBO, but Kang Baek-ho during his time at Seoul High School was a little more special. Since he was a freshman, he hit 10 home runs as a hitter, and as a pitcher, he received attention from the KBO league as well as the Major League by lightly spraying a ball well over 150 kilometers per hour. Because he was such Kang Baek-ho, Scout A carefully added the word "dare" while comparing Shin Jae-in's talent.

However, Shin was so attractive last year. Despite being a freshman, Shin appeared in 20 games recording a batting average of 0.474 (27 hits in 57 times at bat), two homers and 16 RBIs, two walks with six strikeouts and an on-base percentage of 0.508. Scout A told Star News, "Shin Jae-in is an infielder who is strong in batting, and he is good at both his batting eye and contact tool. Bad pitches don't usually hit the bat, and he also hits breaking balls. He is the type who crosses the fence with line drives, but as he grows, he is expected to hit double-digit home runs."

KBO team Scout B, who met at a Winter League game between Yushin High School and Sangwon High School in Daegu on the 7th, also agreed. Scout B also said, "Certainly, Shin Jae-in has been a standout player since he was a freshman. Contact coverage, that is, the area to hit, so he knows how to make a hit on almost any ball. He is a player who has excellent ability to cope with breaking balls and can send balls in all directions to the outfield, so I have more expectations for the future."

In fact, Shin displayed impressive batting performance that comes to mind from scouts' assessments at bat. In the last two at-bats against Sangwon High School in Daegu on Sunday, Shin was out after hitting an infield grounder and an outfield fly ball, respectively. However, the process was impressive. He did not react much to the ball that fell out of the strike zone, and when the ball flew slightly, he showed an aggressive approach that tried to continue hitting until the end, even if it was a ball. His batting quality was also different from that of other players, as he used his entire body to create strong balls with fast bat speeds. Along with Shim Jae-hoon (18, 3rd grade), who is a shortstop and captain, and Oh Jae-won (17th, 2nd grade), he was one of the three players who showed the most impressive batting performance in the Yushin High School along with center fielder and leadoff player.

Shin Jae-in was a fan of the KBO batting champion Son Ah-seop (36, NC Dinos). After going to the baseball stadium with his parents when he was young, he fell in love with baseball and naturally became a fan of Lotte Giants along with Son Ah-seop. "Now, I don't have a favorite player, but I liked Son Ah-seop when I was young. At that time, Son's performance was good and most of all, I thought his hard work was really cool," Shin Jae-in said. "My parents recommended me to play baseball when they saw me watching baseball games since I went to the baseball stadium once."

He referred to videos of Julio Rodriguez (24) of the Seattle Mariners for batting and Derek Jeter (50), the symbol of offensive shortstop in defense. Both of them were called "five-tool players" based on their strong shoulders as right-handed batters. Shin also has solid power, strong shoulders, and good pitching (4.34-4.4 seconds from home to first base) based on excellent contact skills. "I think my biggest strength is that I make a lot of in-play hits and rarely get struck out. I am confident in hitting (the ball)," Shin said.

He aimed to be a third baseman rather than a shortstop. Third baseman can focus more on his strength in hitting than middle in-fielders (staggers and second basemen), whose defense ranks first. The existence of Choi Jeong (37, SSG Landers), a third baseman in the KBO League, could not be ignored. Shin Jae-in said, "I have confidence in throwing balls, but I personally find myself attracted to third basemen. Batting is a position that is a little more important than defense, and I think focusing on hitting can make the most of my strengths."

This winter, Shin Jae-in is focusing on increasing his strength a little more and strengthening his sense of stability in defense. He grew from 183cm to 185cm and gained weight from 77kg to 80kg thanks to his constant efforts, but it is regrettable that he did not aim for it. Hong Seok-moo (39), head coach of Yushin High School, said, "[Shin] Jae-in is a very calm player. If you order something to be supplemented, you can modify it quickly and learn well. For example, if you hit a foul on a ball, you will get a hit the next time the same ball comes. He is good at coping that."

"I need more strength than now, but it's not easy. I think I've been paying attention all winter, but my muscles are not getting as strong as I thought. Last year, I hit about eight to nine home runs including practice games, but now I'm taller and less weight, which also affects my batting balance. My pace is not as good as last year, but I believe I can overcome it myself," he said.

He also picked hitting consistent with ups and downs as one of the things he needs to make up for. When asked what he wanted to say about Shin Jae-in, he said, "I hope he can reset well. I have a lot on my mind (at the time)." He then said, "I feel so sad when I fail to hit the first try. I always say, 'Reset it, change your mind,' but when I miss it, he looks the same as me."

"(Oh) Jae-won always seems to be full of confidence, so I think there are times when I have to lower it a little bit," Shin Jae-in, who responded with an absurd smile, replied, "I think we need to develop our ability to maintain a steady sense of hitting because there is a feeling that it gets worse when it gets bad."

Yushin High School, whose strength has been its mound in recent years, is also considered an attractive team this year. Shin Jae-in is definitely one of the most anticipated players in Yushin High School's lineup.  안전놀이터