It seems that the US Major League Baseball (MLB) is increasingly interested in Lee Jung-hoo.
It has been revealed that Ha-sung Kim’s team, the San Diego Padres, is also interested in Jung-hoo Lee (Kiwoom Heroes). On the 13th (Korean time), former NC Dinos pitcher Drew Luczynski (Oakland Athletics), who visited Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona바카라사이트, USA, met with reporters and said, “Before signing with Oakland, I had a chance to talk with San Diego. They asked me about Lee Jung-hoo in detail, as well as the contract.”
San Diego is a big market club. The man who generously opened his wallet to top players in the big leagues, such as Manny Machado, Blake Snell, and Darvish Yu. Previously, it was a team that had mediocre results in the National League West Division, but after starting to seriously think about winning the championship, it has been unstoppable.
The reason why San Diego is paying attention to Lee Jung-hoo is the Kim Ha-seong effect. Ha-seong Kim, who signed a 4 + 1 year contract with San Diego for up to $ 39 million in 2021, has been highly evaluated in terms of defense since his debut season. Last year, his second year in the big leagues, he became a starting shortstop and was even nominated for the Gold Glove.
Lee Jung-hoo’s skills greatly exceed those recorded by Kim Ha-seong before advancing to the big leagues. Lee Jung-hoo, who made his professional debut in 2017 and set a record of 30% batting average and 160 hits for six consecutive years until last year, set a career high record last year with a batting average of 30.49, 193 hits, 23 homers, 113 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.996. The performance of Lee Jeong-hoo, whose title as the best domestic hitter in KBO League history is not getting awkward, is worthy of attention in San Diego, which has tasted the effect of Ha-seong Kim.
Currently, the team showing the greatest interest in Lee Jung-hoo is the San Francisco Giants. A different scout is dispatched every day to Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, where Kiwoom’s spring camp is underway, to closely observe Lee Jung-hoo’s appearance. While all major league teams are known to be interested in Lee Jung-hoo, he is taking the most active steps. While San Francisco is expressing interest in Lee Jung-hoo through actions, San Diego seems to want more detailed information from a pitcher who has directly faced Lee Jung-hoo in the KBO League.
Luczynski, who joined Oakland based on his performance in NC, said of Lee Jung-hoo, “I think it’s important to find a (defense) position to work in the major leagues. If you become a center fielder, you will be hit, so I think you can survive.” expressed the idea.
The growing interest of the major leagues is now appearing on the surface. While there is even a prospect that a 26-year-old genius hitter whose skills have already been verified could become the protagonist of the first $100 million contract in the history of the KBO League, the surroundings are also slowly moving. In the upcoming practice game, the moves of major league teams are expected to be revealed more aggressively.