“The bat is definitely an attractive player.”
CBS Sports in the U.S. spotlighted three Asian players who will be eligible for Major League posting on the 29th (Korea Standard Time). Outfielder Lee Jung-hoo was listed in the KBO League.
Lee Jung-hoo, who joined the Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom Heroes) as the first draft pick in 2017, pitched in all 144 games in the first year of the KBO League and was selected as the Rookie of the Year with a batting average of .322, .44 and 12 steals.
Lee Jung-hoo, who consistently hit in the mid-300s, ranked first in the batting average in 2021 with a batting average of .366 and .349 in 2022, and Lee Jung-hoo ranked first in hits (193), RBIs (113 points), on-base percentage (0.421), and slugging percentage (0.575) in addition to batting average, winning the MVP award.
CBS Sports said, ‘He is called the grandson of the wind after his father, who won the KBO MVP. Lee Jung-hoo is a left-handed hitter with a .344 batting average, a .407 slugging rate, and a .491 on-base percentage. He hit 65 home runs and stole 69 bases.
Lee Jung-hoo was out for the season after undergoing surgery due to ankle injury in July last year. He plans to play in the Major League after showing off his best skills, but there has been a change.
The media also paid attention to this part. Lee Jeong-hoo said, ‘So far, he has shown plus ability as a runner and defender. There has always been skepticism about KBO players responding to MLB pitching as hitters. At the very least, it may take some time to adapt to the new environment. Lee Jeong-hoo had more walks than strikeouts for five consecutive seasons. He showed above-average hitting ability and the ability to manage the strike zone. He’s whiffed 9% on the year, and only 3% on fastballs. Home runs were rare in the offense, but Lee Jeong-hoo’s bat was evaluated as ‘attractive.’
San Francisco and San Diego were mentioned as interested clubs. The media said, ‘San Francisco needs a center fielder. San Diego is also interested. In particular, San Diego may have an advantage in that Lee Jeong-hoo is a former teammate of Kim Ha-seong.’
Meanwhile, the media mentioned right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga as players of interest along with Lee Jung-hoo. Regarding Yamamoto, it was said, ‘The Mets, who enjoyed success with Senga Kodai this year, showed interest in Yamamoto throughout the summer, and there were rumors that the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Kansas City Royals were also interested.’
Regarding Imanaga, the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Diego, and Philadelphia showed interest in Imanaga. ‘Unlike Yamamoto, Imanaga can be considered a second or third option.’
BY: 와이즈토토
