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What's keeping the Lotte Giants in the KBO's top three? Their captain, Jeon Jun-woo.

Published: 11 Jun. 2025, 14:18

Jeon Jun-woo of the Lotte Giants celebrates after hitting a homer against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on April 27. [NEWS1]

The Lotte Giants have shaken off their longstanding reputation as a team that shines only in spring by remaining firmly in the top three of the KBO well into June.

The Giants have emerged as a title favorite this season alongside league leaders LG Twins and Hanwha Eagles.

One of the key players fueling the Giants’ strong performance is veteran outfielder and captain Jeon Jun-woo, who's enjoying a resurgence at the plate at 39.

In the past 10 games, he has a .353 batting average with two homers, eight RBIs and five runs. His season stats are similarly impressive: a .297 batting average with six home runs, 38 RBIs and 31 runs scored in 64 games.

“We’ve been in third place all through May, but a crisis hit recently,” Jeon said. “We had some injuries, and several key players were out of rhythm, so it became hard to manage games. Thankfully, we bounced back with two wins in the weekend series, and now the dugout atmosphere is bright again.”

Jeon made his presence known in the weekend series against the Doosan Bears, which took place from Friday to Sunday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul.

After losing the first game 5-2, the Giants came back to win the next two games 9-4 and 4-2.

Jeon hit a crucial two-run homer in the third inning of Game 2 and delivered the game-winning RBI double in the first inning of Game 3.

He also made a highlight-reel diving catch of a foul ball in the fifth inning of Game 2, robbing Jake Cave of a hit.

“That was the first time I disliked Jeon Jun-woo,” interim Bears manager Cho Sung-hwan said, referring to the fact that he'd played with Jeon at the Giants.

Cho took the helm earlier this month after Lee Seung-yeop resigned following the club's poor start to the 2025 season .

“He is the interim manager now but he’s a close hyung [older brother] I roomed with back in our Giants days,” Jeon said. “I didn’t mean to upset him, but things turned out that way. If a veteran starts slacking off and missing catches, fans will be the first to turn away. That’s not the baseball I learned, and that’s not how I play.”

Jeon Jun-woo of the Lotte Giants takes a swing in a game against the Kia Tigers on Aug. 21, 2024. [YONHAP]

Jeon’s consistency and professionalism paid off in a big way on June 4 in a game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Sajik Baseball Stadium, where he recorded a multihit performance and became the 20th player in KBO history to reach 2,000 career hits.

“When I debuted in 2008, 2,000 hits wasn’t even something I dreamed of,” Jeon said. “Back then, I didn’t know how long I’d last in this league. So to hit that milestone now really makes me proud.”

Although Jeon was born in Daegu, he became a Giants fan favorite after spending more than 15 seasons with the Busan team.

He first caught the Giants' attention as a senior at Gyeongju High School but opted for university instead.

The club picked him in a draft four years later following his graduation from Konkuk University.

“To me, this team feels like destiny,” he said. “We haven’t been to the postseason since 2017. It’s been a long time, and now I want to give our fans a taste of fall baseball again.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]