Oh Jae-il | Today's AI Wiki

1. Overview

A baseball field, representing the sport Oh Jae-il plays.

Oh Jae-il (오재일_{O Jae-il}^Korean, 吳在一_{O Jae-il (Hanja)}^Korean), born on October 29, 1986, is a prominent South Korean professional baseball infielder who currently plays for the KT Wiz in the KBO League. Known for his powerful left-handed swing and clutch hitting, Oh Jae-il has established himself as a key slugger and a significant contributor to his teams' successes throughout his career. His journey in the KBO League has seen him play for several notable franchises, including the Hyundai Unicorns, Woori / Nexen Heroes, Doosan Bears, and Samsung Lions, before joining the KT Wiz. He has been recognized with multiple individual accolades, including Playoff MVP and Korean Series MVP awards, underscoring his pivotal role in championship-winning campaigns. His career is marked by consistent power and timely hitting, making him one of the respected figures in Korean baseball.

2. Early Life and Background

Oh Jae-il was born on October 29, 1986, in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. His early life and educational experiences laid the foundation for his professional baseball career.

2.1. Childhood and Education

Oh Jae-il attended Inchang Elementary School (affiliated with Guri Little League for baseball), followed by Inchang Middle School, and later Yatab High School. These educational institutions were instrumental in his formative years, where he developed his baseball skills and academic foundations.

3. Professional Baseball Career

Oh Jae-il's professional baseball career began in 2005 and has spanned several KBO League teams, each marking a distinct phase in his development as a top-tier infielder.

3.1. Hyundai Unicorns Era

Oh Jae-il began his professional career after being selected in the third round of the second draft by the Hyundai Unicorns in 2005. He made his KBO League debut on May 15, 2005, but his first at-bat against Oh Seung-hwan resulted in a strikeout. This initial appearance was his only game in the first team that year, and he spent the remainder of the season in the minor leagues.

3.2. Sangmu Phoenix Era

Following the 2006 season, Oh Jae-il enlisted in Sangmu Phoenix, the military baseball team, to fulfill his mandatory military service. During his military tenure, the Hyundai Unicorns franchise was dissolved. Upon his discharge from military service, his player rights were transferred to the newly formed Heroes, which later became the Nexen Heroes.

3.3. Woori/Nexen Heroes Era

After returning from military service in 2008, Oh Jae-il joined the Heroes (who became the Nexen Heroes in 2010). From 2009, he served as a backup first baseman, rotating with players like Lee Sung-yong, Jo Joong-geun, and Jang Young-seok. Despite possessing significant power and clutch hitting abilities, demonstrated by an outfield home run at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, he struggled to fully showcase his talents consistently. In 2011, following the retirement of Lee Sung-yong, Oh Jae-il was expected to become the starting first baseman. However, the team acquired slugger Park Byung-ho in a trade from the LG Twins on July 31, 2011. Park Byung-ho quickly impressed manager Kim Si-jin, pushing Oh Jae-il into a designated hitter role. With his batting average fluctuating between the low .200s and high .100s, he was demoted to the minor leagues in late June. At this time, a military service issue emerged for Choi Joon-seok of the Doosan Bears. In a one-for-one trade initiated by then-Doosan manager Kim Jin-wook, Oh Jae-il was traded to the Doosan Bears in exchange for outfielder Lee Sung-yeol on July 9, 2012.

3.4. Doosan Bears Era

The trade to the Doosan Bears marked a significant turning point in Oh Jae-il's career, where he developed into one of the league's most formidable power hitters. He was immediately registered to the first team on July 9, 2012, the day after the trade, and started as a designated hitter against the Hanwha Eagles. Although he did not record a hit, he managed an RBI with a sacrifice fly in his first at-bat as a Bear. After a period of struggles in July, Kim Jin-wook sent him to the minor leagues to regain confidence and adjust his batting balance. He returned to the first team after two weeks and hit his first home run as a Bear against Brandon Knight of the Nexen Heroes on August 23. Notably, he displayed a strong performance against his former team.
Regarded as a future power hitter for the team, Oh Jae-il spent the early part of the 2013 season in the minor leagues before returning to the first team. Despite a dip in his long-ball production, his hitting proved beneficial to the team, and he played in 55 games that season, maintaining a batting average in the .200s. He made his first postseason appearance in 2012 and also participated in the 2013 Korean Series. In Game 4 of the 2013 Playoff on October 20, he hit a crucial triple against Bong Jung-keun to seal the victory. On October 25, in Game 2 of the Korean Series, he hit a home run against Oh Seung-hwan, which proved to be the decisive run, earning him the MVP for that game.

In 2014, Oh Jae-il faced competition for the starting first baseman role from Jorge Cantú and saw limited playing time, recording a low batting average in the .200s. The 2015 season brought further competition as Kim Jae-hwan was designated as the starting first baseman. Oh Jae-il recorded only one home run in the first half of the season, struggling with his batting eye. However, capitalizing on Kim Jae-hwan's slump, he returned to the first team in the second half, hitting 13 home runs, bringing his season total to 14. This marked his first season with double-digit home runs. On September 12, 2015, he hit his first career grand slam against Park Se-woong of the Lotte Giants. Due to his improved performance, Kim Jae-hwan was moved to the outfield in early 2016, and Oh Jae-il was named the starting first baseman for the 2016 season.

The 2016 season was a career-best for Oh Jae-il, as he recorded a 0.316 batting average, 120 hits, 27 home runs, and 92 RBIs in 105 games. Following the season, he was nominated for the Golden Glove Award at first base but lost to Eric Thames of the NC Dinos. In the 2017 KBO League playoffs against the NC Dinos, he delivered an exceptional performance, hitting four home runs and driving in nine RBIs, earning him the Playoff MVP award. His four home runs in a single postseason game were a first in KBO history, and he also broke the single-game RBI record.

On July 7, 2019, in a game against the SK Wyverns, Oh Jae-il hit a walk-off home run against Ha Jae-hoon in the bottom of the 12th inning, securing a victory that marked manager Kim Tae-hyung's 400th career win. In Game 1 of the 2019 Korean Series, with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, he hit a walk-off single to center field against his former teammate, Oh Ju-won, a relief ace for the Kiwoom Heroes (formerly Nexen Heroes and before that, his teammate in the Hyundai Unicorns). This was the ninth walk-off victory in Korean Series history. In Game 4, which clinched the championship for the Bears, he hit the decisive go-ahead RBI in the top of the 10th inning, leading to him being named the 2019 Korean Series MVP. He contributed a 0.333 batting average (6-for-18) with a home run and six RBIs to help the Bears sweep the Kiwoom Heroes in four games.

In a practice game against the Saitama Seibu Lions on February 25, 2020, Oh Jae-il hit a home run off Daisuke Matsuzaka. He modestly remarked that the home run was "lucky" and that Matsuzaka had an "aura on the mound." On May 14, 2020, in a game against the Lotte Giants, he hit a two-run home run off Go Hyo-jun in the seventh inning, achieving his 500th career RBI. In August of the same year, he was appointed interim captain for the remainder of the season after then-captain Oh Jae-won was relieved of his duties due to poor performance. He finished the 2020 season with a 0.312 batting average, 147 hits, 16 home run, and 89 RBIs.

3.5. Samsung Lions Era

After the 2020 season, Oh Jae-il became eligible for free agency for the first time. On December 14, 2020, he signed a four-year contract with the Samsung Lions for a maximum of 5.00 B KRW, officially transferring to the team for the 2021 season. In his first year with the Lions in 2021, he recorded a 0.285 batting average, 119 hits, 25 home runs, and 97 RBIs. During his tenure with the Lions, he was also selected to represent South Korea in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics baseball tournament, which was postponed to 2021.

3.6. KT Wiz Era

On May 28, 2024, Oh Jae-il was traded to the KT Wiz in a one-for-one player exchange for fellow slugger Byung-ho Park. This trade marked another significant change in his career, joining the KT Wiz roster.

4. Key Records and Awards

Oh Jae-il has achieved several significant individual accolades throughout his KBO League career, highlighting his impact as a clutch hitter and power slugger.

2017 Playoff MVP**: Awarded for his exceptional performance in the 2017 KBO League playoffs against the NC Dinos, where he hit a record-breaking four home run and recorded nine RBIs in a single game.
2019 Korean Series MVP**: Recognized for his crucial contributions in the 2019 Korean Series, where he helped the Doosan Bears sweep the Kiwoom Heroes. He recorded a 0.333 batting average, one home run, and six RBIs in the series.
KBO Postseason Records**: Oh Jae-il is the first player in KBO postseason history to hit four home runs in a single game. He also holds the record for most RBIs in a single postseason game, with nine.
Most Doubles in a Season**: In the 2022 season, playing for the Samsung Lions, Oh Jae-il recorded 42 doubles, which stands as the highest single-season record in Korean professional baseball history.

5. National Team Career

Oh Jae-il has represented South Korea in international competition. His most notable national team appearance came in 2021.

He was selected as a member of the South Korea national baseball team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics baseball tournament. The event was held in 2021 due to the global pandemic.

6. Career Statistics

Oh Jae-il's professional batting statistics in the KBO League are presented below. "Bold" indicates the league-best record for that specific season, while "Red text" indicates the highest record in Korean professional baseball history.

Year	Team	Batting Avg.	Games	At Bats	Runs	Hits	2B	3B	HR	Total Bases	RBI	Stolen Bases	CS	BB	HBP	SO	GDP	Errors
2005	Hyundai	0.000	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
2009	Heroes/Nexen	0.197	43	66	4	13	5	0	0	18	4	0	0	6	0	15	1	1
2010	Nexen	0.133	39	60	1	8	4	0	1	15	9	0	0	4	1	16	6	1
2011	Nexen	0.230	46	100	13	23	5	0	1	31	11	2	0	15	1	24	2	3
2012	Doosan	0.203	87	212	16	43	8	0	8	75	25	0	0	10	0	58	3	0
2013	Doosan	0.299	55	117	16	35	12	0	3	56	28	0	1	20	3	28	0	1
2014	Doosan	0.242	75	132	10	32	7	0	3	48	18	1	1	20	1	39	1	4
2015	Doosan	0.289	66	180	33	52	11	1	14	107	36	0	0	28	2	49	5	3
2016	Doosan	0.316	105	380	69	120	20	2	27	225	92	1	0	64	2	73	5	7
2017	Doosan	0.306	128	412	62	126	27	0	26	231	89	1	1	45	5	80	5	5
2018	Doosan	0.279	123	401	69	112	19	2	27	216	80	1	1	60	6	121	3	4
2019	Doosan	0.293	130	467	76	137	29	1	21	231	102	2	1	55	3	99	5	4
2020	Doosan	0.312	127	471	62	147	32	0	16	227	89	2	1	61	0	92	12	3
2021	Samsung	0.285	120	418	64	119	20	0	25	214	97	1	0	58	0	106	5	2
2022	Samsung	0.268	135	470	57	126	42	0	21	231	94	2	1	57	2	133	7	5
2023	Samsung	0.203	106	315	31	64	15	0	11	112	54	1	0	43	3	110	1	8
2024	KT	0.243	105	296	33	72	18	1	11	126	45	0	0	36	2	88	7	3
Career Total	17 Seasons	0.273	1491	4498	616	1229	274	7	215	2162	873	14	7	582	31	1132	68	54

7. Uniform Numbers

Oh Jae-il has worn several uniform numbers throughout his professional baseball career across different teams:

34 (2005-2006, Hyundai Unicorns)
35 (2009-2011, Heroes)
10 (2012, Nexen Heroes)
36 (2012 mid-season - 2020, Doosan Bears; 2024 mid-season - present, KT Wiz)
44 (2021-2024 mid-season, Samsung Lions)
40 (2024 mid-season, KT Wiz)

8. Cheering Songs

Oh Jae-il has had distinct cheering songs adopted by the fan bases of the KBO League teams he has played for, reflecting the vibrant player-fan culture in Korean baseball.

During Nexen Heroes era
- 오재일~ 워어~_{O Jae-il~ Woah-oh~}^Korean
- 오재일~ 워어어어~_{O Jae-il~ Woah-oh-oh-oh~}^Korean
- 날려라 안타 오재일~_{Hit a single, Oh Jae-il~}^Korean
- 날려라 안타 오재일~_{Hit a single, Oh Jae-il~}^Korean (repeated)
- During Doosan Bears era
  - 오재일~ 워어~_{O Jae-il~ Woah-oh~}^Korean
  - 오재일~ 워어어어~_{O Jae-il~ Woah-oh-oh-oh~}^Korean
  - 날려라 안타 오재일~_{Hit a single, Oh Jae-il~}^Korean
  - 날려라 안타 오재일~_{Hit a single, Oh Jae-il~}^Korean (repeated)
  - 오~~재일_{Oh~~ Jae-il}^Korean
  - 오! 오!재!일!_{Oh! Oh! Jae! il!}^Korean
  - 오 워어어어어_{Oh Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh}^Korean
  - 두산의 오재일 (오!재!일!)_{Doosan's Oh Jae-il (Oh! Jae! il!)}^Korean (repeated twice)
  - During Samsung Lions era
    - 오~재일 삼성의 오재일_{Oh~ Jae-il, Samsung's Oh Jae-il}^Korean
    - 오~재일 삼성의 오재일_{Oh~ Jae-il, Samsung's Oh Jae-il}^Korean
    - 삼성의 오재일 안타_{Samsung's Oh Jae-il, single}^Korean
    - 오오오 오재일 홈런_{Oh-oh-oh, Oh Jae-il, home run}^Korean
    - 삼성의 오재일 파이팅_{Samsung's Oh Jae-il, Fighting!}^Korean
    - 오오오 오 재일_{Oh-oh-oh Oh Jae-il}^Korean (repeated twice)
    - During kt wiz era
      - 오오오오 오오오 오오 케이티 오재일 안타 오오오 오오 오오오 케이티 오재일 홈런_{Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, KT Oh Jae-il, single, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, KT Oh Jae-il, home run}^Korean (repeated twice)
      - 오재일_{Oh Jae-il}^Korean