NC Dinos Rookie Shin Jae-in: Why His Batting Opportunities Are Limited in 2026

[SPOTVNEWS= Daejeon — Reporter Shin Won-chul] NC beat Hanwha 7-3 in Daejeon on April 24. After the win, Shin Jae-in set his bat down and headed to the dugout. He never entered the game; he was ready to hit but never got the call.

NC was facing left-handed starter Ryu Hyun-jin that day. Manager Lee Ho-jun and the coaching staff debated whether to use right-handed Shin or left-handed Go Jun-hwi, and ultimately they went with Go.

Shin was selected second overall in the draft — the first pick among 2026 rookie position players and second overall including pitchers — and he’s stayed on the first-team roster since Opening Day. Still, his plate appearances haven’t matched that status. Through April 25, he’d appeared in 18 of NC’s 23 games and recorded 46 plate appearances.

That’s less playing time than some peers who entered the pros with him or came from the same high school. KT’s Lee Kang-min has 23 games and 81 plate appearances, and Hanwha’s Oh Jae-won has 20 games with 60 plate appearances. Kiwoom’s Kim Ji-seok has 40 plate appearances in 13 games, and Park Han-gyeol has 41 in 14 — figures similar to Shin’s. Shin has had three or more plate appearances in only seven games, including the April 25 matchup against Hanwha when he entered early as a substitute.

Given NC’s infield depth, that limited playing time was predictable. The club already has Kim Hwi-jip and Seo Ho-cheol at third base, and foreign first baseman Matt Davidson holds down first. Still, NC kept Shin on the Opening Day roster and tried to give him opportunities. That resulted in 17 games and 43 plate appearances so far.

Some argued the team should send him to the Futures squad so he could play every day. NC considered that option, but Kim Hwi-jip suffered a wrist fracture after being hit by a pitch, which changed the plan.

“We were planning to send him down so he could get more reps, but Kim Hwi-jip got injured right when we were about to make the move,” Lee Ho-jun said before the April 24 game. “Because of Kim’s injury, Shin stayed with the first team. We suddenly needed an infield utility option.” Shin began the April 25 game on the bench and came in during the second inning after Seo Ho-cheol was hurt.

Although he hasn’t yet made the kind of impact some expected, the organization’s belief in him remains strong. Kim Joo-won, a senior from Yusin High who trained with Shin and Go since spring camp, said, “Both Shin and Go have been with us since camp, and I honestly think they had more talent than I did as a rookie. They even broke my record for youngest home run. I’m proud of them, and I expect they’ll grow into even bigger players.”