With Kiwoom Heroes Lee Jung-hoo (24) declaring his overseas expansion, interest in Asian beasts in the major leagues is getting hotter.
Lee Jung-hoo had his best season of the year. In 142 games, he batted 3.4 9 Lee (193 hits in 553 at-bats), 23 homers, 113 RBI, OPS .
Lee Jung-hoo, who has grown into the best hitter in the KBO League, is now turning his eyes to the major leagues. After the season ends next year, it will be possible to advance overseas through posting. Lee Jung-hoo has already expressed his intention to go abroad, and his team, Kiwoom, is also in a position to respect Lee Jung-hoo’s intention.
The market environment is also going in a good direction for Lee Jung-hoo. This is because major league interest in Asian beasts is increasing recently.
Shortstop Kim Ha-seong, who played for Kiwoom with Lee Jung-hoo, succeeded in advancing to the major leagues through posting after the 2020 season. He signed a 4-year, $28 million (approximately 36.6 billion won) guaranteed 토토 contract with San Diego. He was San Diego’s starting shortstop this year and was a finalist for the National League Shortstop Gold Glove.
Japanese fielders are also actively advancing into the major leagues. After the 2021 season, Seiya Suzuki succeeded in signing a contract with the Cubs for 5 years and 85 million dollars (approximately 111 billion won). Suzuki recorded a batting average of .262 in 111 games this year (104 hits in 397 at-bats), 14 homers, 46 RBIs, and an OPS of .770.
A big contract broke out this winter. Masataka Yoshida, who led Orix to victory, has signed a five-year, $90 million (approximately 117.5 billion won) contract with Boston. Yoshida is a heavy hitter with a batting average of 302.7 (884 hits in 2703 at-bats), 133 homers, 467 RBIs, and an OPS of .960 in 762 Japanese professional baseball games. However, there was a weakness in the defense, and a contract of 30 to 50 million dollars was expected, but Yoshida succeeded in getting a contract that exceeded expectations.
Yoshida’s contract is good news for Lee Jung-hoo, who aims to advance to the major leagues next year. Lee Jung-hoo said, “Yoshida is a player I refer to a lot. He has power, but strikes out a lot and walks a lot. He wants to say congratulations on getting a good contract and going to the major leagues. I think it is meaningful for an Asian player to go to the US after receiving a good contract. I will also prepare to receive good reviews after the season next year.”
In general, the KBO league is evaluated as less competitive than the Japanese professional baseball. Therefore, it is difficult to put Lee Jung-hoo and Yoshida on the same line. However, Lee Jung-hoo’s strong point is that he is 5 years younger than Yoshida and his defensive ability is gradually improving.
Expectations are growing that Lee Jung-hoo, who is about to go abroad, will be able to make a contract that goes beyond everyone’s imagination.