Doosan Bears catcher Yoon Jun-ho has finally taken off his ‘Monsters’ tee. Now, more people are talking about Yoon Jun-ho of the Doosan Bears than Yoon Jun-ho of the Choiwoong Baseball.
Joon-ho, who joined the team in the fifth round of the 2023 rookie draft (49th overall), gained attention even before he joined the professional ranks when he became the starting catcher for the entertainment programme “Cheong Wa Dae Baseball” last year. Coincidentally, Lee Seung-yeop, who was the manager of the Cheong Wa Dae Monsters at the time, was appointed as the manager of Doosan, further highlighting the connection.스포츠토토
Yoon Jun-ho was given the opportunity to shadow the senior catchers until the first team spring training in his rookie year. This was thanks to the call-up of main catcher Yang Yang-ji to the WBC team. After completing the first team spring training, Yoon played in an exhibition game, but was unable to make the opening day roster.
He started the season with the Future Team and gradually increased his playing time. In 22 games in the Futures League, Yoon hit .364 with 16 hits, one home run, eight RBI, two doubles, and a .417 slugging percentage. He has the best batting average among catchers in the Futures League.
Speaking to MK Sports ahead of his upcoming game against the Goyang Heroes in the Futures League on 25 May, Yoon said, “I’m preparing slowly with the idea of relearning the basics in the Future Team. I don’t think baseball is that much different than when I was a student, but I have to prepare for a game every day. I feel like I need to prepare more thoroughly because of that.”
Yoon has been a consistent hitter in the Futures League since his first season. This is even more encouraging as the player himself sees batting as a weakness.
“My batting average has always been low, so I’ve been training and playing with the idea of learning how to hit from scratch. I often asked my hitting coaches for advice. Somehow, I got lucky and got some hits. I didn’t get a lot of starts, but I think I made every at-bat count, and it paid off. I’ve only had a few at-bats, so it’s too early to judge.”
Of course, the defence is full of confidence. Jun-ho Yoon showed off his strong stolen base prevention results in the Futures League game on the 25th.
“I’ve always been confident in my defence. I try to make fewer mistakes and be more precise in my blocking. I will continue to train hard with Coach Battery every day to make my defence more perfect,” he said.
After going through the first team’s spring camp and trials, but not making the opening roster, Yoon Jun-ho has been preparing well for his first team debut, which could come out of nowhere.
“I watch the first-team games from time to time and think about when I can get there,” he says. Sometimes I look at the players who have made it to the first team and imagine what I would do. I get nervous whenever I imagine wearing a force mask at Jamsil Stadium (laughs). I feel like I only got a taste of the first team in spring training and exhibition matches. If I thought I could be in the first team from the beginning, I would be arrogant. I want to build up my skills well step by step and seize the opportunity when I am recognised.”
Doosan called up Ahn Seung-han to the first team on the 25th to form the first ‘three-catcher system’ of the season alongside Yang Ji and Jang Seung-hyun. Now, without Ahn Seung-han, who was the first catcher call-up for the Future Team, Yoon Jun-ho is expected to get more starts in the Futures League.
“With (Ahn) Seung-han’s brother moving up to the first team, I think my starting role in Futures League games will increase a little bit more, and I’ll try to prepare well for the September Expansion Entry because I don’t know when the opportunity will suddenly come. I can’t wait to learn from Yang-ji and watch him from the sidelines,” he smiled.
In closing, Yoon Jun-ho said, “I’m grateful to the fans for their continued interest and support over the years, starting with the Monsters last year and now the Doosan Bears. I will continue to strive for the first-team stage, which I hope to reach one day, while preparing well in the Future Team. I hope you will continue to be curious about me and look forward to my future, and wait patiently until I reach the first team.”