"I don't have Lee Jong-beom's speed, but..."
spotlighted Lee Jung-hoo (25), who is ranked 13th in the 2023-2024 free agent rankings on the 6th (Korean time). Recently, The Athletic reported that his guaranteed contract, excluding posting fees, will reach $56 million over four years. That's exactly twice as much as his "best friend" Ha Sung Kim (28, San Diego Padres), who received four years and $28 million guaranteed.
"Lee is looking for a new challenge in the major leagues after an all-around breakout season in South Korea. He debuted in 2017 and never hit below .318 before suffering an injury in 2023. His ability to make contact doesn't stop with pitches up the middle. He expands the strike zone and makes contact on pitches that don't look like they're going to make contact."
In fact, Lee is one of the hitters in the country with the widest contact coverage. His ability to make in-play contact on all pitches is outstanding. However, he hasn't been completely successful with the change of lowering his arm height to deal with fastballs over 150 kilometers. 안전토토사이트
"At least he showed scouts he can drive the ball out of the park," said Lee, who hit 10 triples and 23 home runs with a .996 OPS in 2022. He is an above-average defensive center fielder who could be valuable even if his power drops off.
They also talked about Lee's father, LG coach Lee Jong-beom. MLB.com wrote, "Lee Jung-hoo, the grandson of the wind, has 69 career stolen bases. He doesn't have the speed of Lee Jong-bum, but he has the same ability to get to the ball."
The challenge for Lee, according to MLB.com, is adjusting to a 95+ mph fastball. He failed to change his batting form once this season, and it remains to be seen how he will prepare for next year. As MLB.com notes, "Most KBO pitchers don't reach 95 mph. It will be interesting to see how Lee reacts to that velocity. He's making a special effort."
The San Francisco Giants are the favorites to sign Lee. President Farhan Zaidi didn't directly mention Lee to MLB.com, but he believes the chances of success for Asian hitters are growing. "Ten to 15 years ago, there was a risk, but in the last few years, a lot of players have come from Japan and Korea. There's enough of a track record now to be confident," he said.
He was intrigued by San Francisco's offense. "Farhan Zaidi is not too worried about Lee's ability. When he brings a player from overseas to the major leagues, he says the front office is confident." Pete Putilla's end-of-season visit to Kodak SkyDome set the stage for San Francisco's signing day. It remains to be seen if The Athletics will offer more than $56 million in guaranteed contracts.