KBO League’s leading hitter Lee Jeong-hoo (25)’s major league challenge is a hot topic in Japan as well. The son of Lee Jong-beom, who played for the Chunichi Dragons in the past, is showing as much interest as the Korean media in which major league club he will join. 토토사이트
Japanese media ‘THE ANSWER’ reported on the 27th, “Kiwoom outfielder Lee Jeong-hoo, who played in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, is planning to challenge the major leagues through the off-season posting system.”
The media described Lee Jeong-hoo as “a hot hitter who hits sharp balls with a slender figure of 185 cm in height and 86 km in weight. He introduced, “He left a total of 1,181 hits and a batting average of .304 over 7 years in the KBO League,” and added, “As his team Kiwoom allowed posting, multiple major league clubs repeatedly inspected Jeong-hoo Lee this season.”
In a recent interview with a domestic media outlet, Lee Jeong-hoo paid tribute to Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels), who dominated the major league with his two-hitting career.
THE ANSWER said, “The Korean baseball superstar praised Ohtani highly. Lee Jeong-hoo looked at Ohtani with admiration, calling him ‘a player who can be said to be the coolest among baseball players.’ He drew attention to the content of the interview, saying, ‘When I saw Ohtani up close at the WBC, he was really cool and he had great physical strength for an Asian person.’”
Next, Lee Jeong-hoo’s family relationship and injury in the 2023 season were mentioned. The media said, “Lee Jung-hoo was actually born in Nagoya. “His father is former Chunichi player Lee Jong-beom,” said Lee Jeong-hoo, “My father has overseas experience, so he gave me advice to prepare well. He added, “My parents are a great help to me because they always support me rather than give me orders.”
At the same time, “Lee Jeong-hoo injured his ankle during this season and was off the front line. “He appeared as a pinch hitter in the final home game on October 1, and expressed his gratitude by greeting the fans several times while at bat,” he said. “The 2021 Tokyo Olympics was the moment when Lee Jung-hoo’s desire to challenge the major leagues sprouted. “He said that he developed that feeling little by little as he met good pitchers,” he said, also pointing out the background to Lee Jeong-hoo’s challenge to the big league.
THE ANSWER They also showed great interest in Lee Jung-hoo’s next destination as much as the Korean media and fans. The media said, “It is known that Lee Jung-hoo was born at a hospital in Nagoya while his father was playing for Chunichi. Kim Ha-seong, who played for the San Diego Padres and was a Gold Glove finalist this season, was a teammate at Kiwoom. “Attention is focused on the team that superstar Lee Jung-hoo will join next.”
Jeong-hoo Lee, who was selected in the first round by Nexen in 2017, recorded a batting average of .304, 65 home runs, 515 RBIs, 69 stolen bases, and 581 runs in 884 games in the KBO League. Last season, in 142 games, he had a batting average of .349, 193 hits, 23 home runs, 113 RBI, and an OPS of .996, winning five batting awards (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, RBI, and most hits) and the regular season MVP.
In addition, he has proven his competitiveness in various international competitions, including APBC in 2017, Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in 2018, Premier 12 in 2019, and WBC in 2021 and 2023.
This year, due to injuries, his batting average was only .311, 6 home runs, and 45 RBIs in 86 games. However, multiple major league clubs that have already confirmed Lee Jung-hoo’s skills are showing interest in recruiting him.
The team that shows the most enthusiasm in recruiting Lee Jeong-hoo is the San Francisco Giants, a member of the National League West Division. On the 10th, general manager Pete Putilla crossed the Pacific Ocean to visit Gocheok Sky Dome, Kiwoom’s home stadium, and showed great interest in watching Lee Jeong-hoo’s game.