“Lee Jung-hoo has good contact ability, can play right field”

Major League Baseball Trade Rumors (MLBTR), which focuses on major league player transfers, mentioned Lee Jung-hoo in an article titled “Seattle Mariners looking for a hitter with good contact” on April 8 (KST).

Lee, who won the regular season MVP title last year with five batting titles (batting average, most hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage), decided to enter the major leagues through the posting system after the 2023 season through discussions with the Kiwoom Heroes after the season ended. He then teamed up with Scott Boras, aka “The Devil’s Agent,” to prepare him for the big leagues.

Despite the team’s lackluster performance, Lee’s impressive performance for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) team caught the eye of big league scouts. However, a change in his batting form to produce long balls with the major leagues in mind caught up with him early in the KBO regular season. 보스토토 도메인

Lee struggled mightily in the month of April, batting just .218. As his slump prolonged, Lee shifted his focus to regaining his old form and regaining his hitting touch. But then another setback came, this time an injury. In late July, Lee suffered an ankle injury against the Sasak Lotte Giants that landed him on the operating table and ended his season with a .318 batting average in 105 at-bats in 86 games.

Despite his injury-plagued year, Lee’s stellar cumulative stats were enough to draw interest from major league clubs. Local media in the U.S. have linked Lee to the New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants general manager Pete Putilla even visited Gocheok SkyDome to watch Lee train. It was also reported that the San Diego Padres, where Kim Ha-seong plays, were also interested in Lee.

Now that the Major League Baseball has concluded its schedule and the Stobrigue has begun, local media coverage of Lee has increased significantly. For now, the reviews are not bad. The lack of notable hitters in this year’s free agency market is working in his favor. While the American media and major league clubs have questions about KBO hitters, the accumulated stats and international performances have been favorable.