Next season, a new Korean player will challenge the Major League stage. Lee Jung-hoo (Kium Heroes) is the main character.
KBO said on the 24th, "We asked the Major League Secretariat to post Lee Jung-hoo to 30 major league clubs at the request of Kiwoom."
Lee Jung-hoo took the KBO league stage for the first time in the 2017 season and recorded 1,181 hits, 65 home runs, 515 RBIs, 581 runs and a batting average of 0.340 OPS 898. Last season, he won five hits with 193 hits, 23 home runs, 113 RBIs, 85 runs batted in, 0.349 on-base percentage, 0.575, and won his first MVP in his career.
He played only 86 games this season due to an ankle injury, but he is already drawing attention from many major league teams. Major League Trade Rumors (MLBTR), which mainly deals with the news of Major League Baseball's transfer, said on the 24th (Korean time), "Lee Jung-hoo is expected to sign a five-year, $50 million (about 65.1 billion won) contract or more as expected."
Lee Jung-hoo will negotiate the contract for 30 days from the next day when the Major League Baseball secretariat announces the posting.
Choi Ji-man, a "major leaguer" who participated in the Yang Joon-hyuk Baseball Foundation's 2023 Hope-Adding Charity Baseball Competition held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 26th, opened up about Lee Jung-hoo's big league challenge. The opinion was that Lee Jung-hoo should give time to adapt to the new environment.
Choi Ji-man said, "It's good for a good Korean player to come to the Major League. Lee Jung-hoo is such a good player, he said. "But I hope many people (Lee Jung-hoo) refrain from saying, 'I will succeed or not.' The story will be a burden on the player himself," he said.
Choi Ji-man cited Kim Ha-sung, who shared a room with the San Diego Padres this season. Kim Ha-sung made his first major league appearance in 2021. He struggled with a batting average of 0.202 in his first season, but he marked a batting average of 0.251 last season. He then hit a career high with 140 hits, 17 homers, 38 steals, 60 RBIs, 84 runs scored, and a batting average of 0.260 OPS 0.749 this season. He was also among the three finalists in the Silver Slugger National League utility category.
Choi Ji-man said, "In the case of (Kim) Ha-sung, it was very difficult in the first and second years." That's why I think we have to look at it for a long time, he said. "In the long run, I think it will definitely succeed." "I think the grades will follow as soon as I adjust," he said.
Choi Ji-man made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in the 2016 season. Since then, he has been wearing the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, and San Diego jerseys.
On the issue of adaptation, Choi Ji-man said, "It's going to a strange place. "I think the most important thing is to reach out to the players first," he said. "If the players like that, I think they will adapt quickly." Ha-sung also became close to Manny Machado. I think we need that part," he said.
