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Three rookies, one high school: Yushin alumni shine in KBO debut

Published: 10 Apr. 2026, 07:00

Oh Jae-won of the Hanwha Eagles [HANWHA EAGLES]

Three rookies. One high school.

Yushin High School, which houses a powerhouse baseball program known for producing top-tier KBO talent, is making an immediate impact on its alumni's debut season, drawing attention across the league.

The three fresh new alumni — outfielder Oh Jae-won of the Hanwha Eagles, infielder Shin Jae-in of the NC Dinos and infielder Lee Gang-min of the KT Wiz — quickly secured roles on their respective teams.

“I expected that they would all do well in the pros someday, but I didn’t think that they would be playing in first-team games every day this quickly,” said Hong Seok-mu, the head coach of Yushin High’s baseball program.

Yushin High is an all-boys high school founded in Suwon, Gyeonggi, in 1973. The school is known for its prestigious baseball program, which was founded in 1984.

“Oh Jae-won and Shin Jae-in had already secured starting roles from their first year,” Hong said. “Lee Gang-min was a backup as a [first-year student] but became a starter in his second year and made a big leap in his third and final year after fully addressing his weaknesses. I’m grateful to the professional scouts who selected them and to the coaches who are using them effectively in the right roles.”

All three were highly regarded prospects. Shin and Oh were selected second and third overall in the first round of this year’s rookie draft. Lee was also chosen 16th overall in the second round by the Wiz.

It marked only the second time in history that three position players from the same school and graduating class were selected within the first two rounds of the draft.

The only time this has happened before was in 1998, when Choi Hee-seop was selected as a first-round pick by the Haitai Tigers, Lee Hyun-gon received a high school priority selection from the Tigers and Song Won-guk was taken in the first round by the OB Bears.

This is also the first such case since the introduction of the full draft system in 2013.

Shin Jae-in of NC Dinos [NC DINOS]

The trio has already produced notable results. Lee Gang-min and Oh each recorded three hits in the regular season opener on March 28, tying the record for most hits in an opening game by a high school rookie. The performances marked the second and third such instances since Jang Sung-ho of the Tigers set the record in 1996, the first in 30 years.

Shin set another milestone against the Lotte Giants in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, on April 1. At 18 years, 9 months and 4 days old, he became the youngest player in the Dinos’ history to hit a home run — and the sixth-youngest home run ever in KBO history.

“It’s remarkable that three amazing players all came from one school. Yushin High should put up a sign,” joked Lee Kang-chul, the manager of the Wiz.

All three athletes are already taking on key roles within their teams. Oh serves two major positions as both the Eagles' leadoff hitter and starting center fielder.

“He has star quality and plays his own game without being intimidated by veteran players,” Kim Kyung-moon, the manager of the Eagles, said.

Lee Gang-min of KT Wiz [KT WIZ]

Lee Gang-min has been consistently starting at shortstop for the Wiz, a position that desperately needed a generational transition. He holds the highest batting average among the three — at 0.324 — as of Tuesday.

“He will be one of our team’s breakout players this year,” Lee Kang-chul, the manager of the Wiz said.

Shin stands out for power hitting, already recording two home runs in 18 plate appearances.

“He reminds me of Kang Jung-ho,” Lee Ho-joon, the manager of the Dinos, said. “He could develop into a player on the level of Oh Ji-hwan of the LG Twins.”

The three players continue to maintain close ties, encouraging each other through their group chat. At this rate, the three may compete for rookie of the year.

“It’s great to be playing in the first team together with my friends,” Oh said.

Yushin High has produced several notable players, including KBO’s all-time home run leader Choi Jeong of the SSG Landers and outfielder Jung Soo-bin, a key member of the Doosan Dynasty. Other alumni include 2020 Rookie of the Year So Hyeong-jun, last season’s saves leader Park Yeong-hyun of the Wiz and shortstop Kim Ju-won of the Dinos.

“Seeing the seniors who recently trained, ate and studied together at school now performing in the pros will be a great source of motivation for our current players,” Yushin High’s Hong said. “For now, our current students need to focus on their high school season, but I hope the day comes when they achieve strong results in national competitions and watch their seniors play in person.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE YOUNG-EUN [[email protected]]