SSG Landers infielder Jeon Eui-san returns from military service with new mindset
The time away proved worthwhile, as over two seasons in the military's Futures League team, Jeon batted .327 with 25 home runs and 119 RBIs in 144 games while posting an OPS above .900.
SSG Landers infielder Jeon Eui-san poses for a photo during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in Incheon on July 5.KIM HYO-KYOUNG
Military service didn’t just take SSG Landers infielder Jeon Eui-san away from baseball for 18 months — it returned him with a completely different mentality.
“My mindset toward baseball has changed,” the 26-year-old athlete said when he sat down for an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Incheon SSG Landers Field on Sunday.
It may have been a trace of military discipline, but Jeon carried himself with a newfound seriousness about baseball.
After completing his mandatory military service with the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps on June 1, Jeon returned to the club and played a multihit game the following day.
His first home run of the season came in his fifth game and gave the team a boost as they tried to snap an early-season slump.
Although both Jeon and the team then lost their momentum, he seemed to have found his footing again after hitting his third homer of the season against the Samsung Lions on Saturday.
Landers infielder Jeon Eui-sanSSG LANDERS
“I’m just enjoying myself, and nothing feels difficult,” Jeon said. “The way that I think about baseball has changed. Before I enlisted, I took a lot of things for granted. Now, I think twice about those things and feel much more determined. I was away from the first team for only a year and a half, but while I was playing in the [KBO] Futures League, I really missed hearing the fans.”
The KBO Futures League is the secondary league in which the military baseball team plays.
Jeon, who joined the Landers in 2020, broke into the first team in his third season in 2022. He hit .249 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs in 77 games, helping the Landers win the Korean Series.
However, he suffered a slump in the 2024 season before beginning his military service.
The time away proved worthwhile. Over two seasons in the Futures League, Jeon batted .327 with 25 home runs and 119 RBIs in 144 games while posting an OPS above .900.
The OPS, which stands for on-base plus slugging, measures a player’s overall offensive capability.
“I lost seven kilograms [15.4 pounds], so I definitely feel lighter,” he said. “It was body fat that I lost, so my swing didn’t lose any power.”
Landers Jeon Eui-san hits a ball during a match against the KT Wiz at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Aug. 11, 2022.YONHAP
Since his return, Jeon has hit .267 with three home runs, 14 RBIs and a .775 OPS in 86 at-bats.
He also changed his approach at the plate.
“I made a lot of changes to my hitting mechanics,” he said. “I used to have a very aggressive approach. When I was feeling good, I could drive the ball a long way, but my margin for solid contact was small. I also changed how I handle fastballs, and military team manager Park Chi-wang helped me a lot.”
SSG manager Lee Soong-yong also encouraged Jeon refine his mentality, the athlete said.
“Lee told me to think of home runs as a bonus,” Jeon said. “I’d be lying if I said that I don’t want to hit them, but if I keep making solid contact, they’ll come naturally. I don’t try to chase them. I also talk about hitting with [the league’s top slugger] Choi Jeong.”
Jeon’s goal is simple: He wants to remain in the first team for the rest of the season.
His focus is on maintaining his performance, despite competition with Kim Jae-hwan, Oh Tae-gon and Ko Myeong-jun for time at first base and designated hitter.
“I want to stay with the first team and not get sent back down,” Jeon said. “If I can do that, I think that the records will follow.”
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.
