“Grandson of the Wind” Lee Jeong-hoo Shines in American Media Spotlight Ahead of Major League Debut

‘Grandson of the Wind’ Lee Jeong-hoo (26, San Francisco Giants) is getting a lot of attention from the American media even before his big league debut. With a .400 batting average in exhibition games, the question mark that filled the contract signing seems to have been replaced by an exclamation point.

Lee Jeong-hoo reported a hit even before his debut in the 2024 Major League exhibition game against the Seattle Mariners on the 28th of last month (Korea time). After that, he hit several hits, including his first home run, against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 1, and went 1-for-3 against the Texas Rangers on the 2nd, followed by 1-for-2 at-bats, 1 RBI, and 1 walk against the Cleveland Guardians on the 4th and the Colorado Rockies on the 5th, played an active role.

Lee Jeong-hoo’s exhibition game performance in 5 games equates to a .462 batting average (6 hits in 13 at-bats), 1 home run, 3 RBI, 1 stolen base, and an OPS of 1.302 (on-base percentage on base of .533 + slugging percentage of .769). Using his sophisticated contact ability, he recorded consecutive hits in each game.

On the 6th, American Yahoo Sports described Lee Jung-hoo as “the most attractive and mysterious box” and said, “Thanks to his spectacular performance in Korea, Lee Jung-hoo signed a six-year contract worth $113 million with San Francisco. . “With his completeness, versatility, and outstanding contact ability, he is a potential center fielder and Gold Glove candidate this year.”

Lee Jeong-hoo, who is the leading hitter in the KBO League, fulfilled his dream of becoming a big leaguer by signing a mega-contract worth 113 million dollars (about 150 billion won) over 6 years with San Francisco, a traditional powerhouse in National League West Division, on December 13 last year (Korea time) I accomplished it.

Lee Jung-hoo’s contract was far beyond Ryu Hyun-jin’s contract (6 years, $36 million) with the LA Dodgers. It also surpassed the five-year, $90 million contract for Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida, who signed with the Boston Red Sox through the 2023 season, breaking the record for the highest amount ever paid by an Asian fielder who joined the Premier League. . The leading player among pitchers and infielders is Masahiro Tanaka, who signed a 7-year, $155 million contract with the New York Yankees in 2014. The top hitter of the KBO League, which is considered one step below Japanese professional baseball , quickly ranked second in Asia’s contract volume.

Jeong-hoo Lee, a first-round pick by the Nexen Heroes in the 2017 rookie draft, recorded a .304 batting average, 65 home runs, 515 RBI, 69 stolen bases, and 581 runs in 884 games in the KBO League. In the 2022 season, he recorded a .349 batting average, 193 hits, 23 home runs, 113 RBI, and an OPS of .996 in 142 games, earning five batting awards (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, RBI, most hits) and the regular season MVP.

Lee Jung-hoo also proved his competitiveness in various international competitions, including 2017 APBC (Asian Professional Baseball Championship), 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, 2019 Premier 12, and 2021 and 2023 WBC (World Baseball Classic). Seven years after his professional debut, he has transformed from Lee Jong-beom’s son to South Korean star Lee Jeong-hoo.

However, at the time of the contract signing, the local gaze on Lee Jeong-hoo was not all positive. Lee Jung-hoo underwent surgery for a broken ankle last year and was limited to 387 at-bats in 86 games. Like all Asian players who enter the major leagues, he had a major adjustment task.

One media said, “Baseball is a physical sport, and injuries cause problems in every athlete’s career. Of course, it’s part of a career, but if it’s repeated, it causes bigger problems. “Look at Shohei Ohtani,” he said. “Lee Jung-hoo also had an injury last season and hasn’t proven to be fully healthy yet. This raises questions. Was the Giants deal with Lee Jung-hoo the right choice? “What does his injury history mean?” he said.

Yahoo Sports also reported on the atmosphere at the time of the signing, saying, “Some people had doubts about whether Lee Jung-hoo would be able to show sufficient strength on the Premier League stage.”

Although it is an exhibition game stage to test one’s strength, Lee Jeong-hoo brushes off concerns about his skills. Yahoo Sports said, “February and March don’t provide a clear answer to these questions, but Lee Jeong-hoo’s 109.7-mile (about 176 km) home run batting speed last week means he’s at least average-level the major leagues.” Jose Altuve, Dansbee “Swanson and Bryson Stott produced productive results last year without hitting the ball hard,” he explained.

“Lee Jung-hoo needs to prove that he can hit the ball hard and high, but the figure of 109.7 mph seems like a great start. “Lee Jeong-hoo has the potential to become one of the most fascinating midfielders in the league,” he said, noting Lee Jeong-hoo’s potential.

San Francisco’s local media ‘Mercury News’ also took an unusual look at Lee Jeong-hoo’s performance in the exhibition game. The media said, “The 25-year-old center fielder (Lee Jeong-hoo) is active in spring training with a batting average of .462, including one home run, an on-base percentage of .533, and an OPS of 1.302. ” “The Giants recruited Lee Jeong-hoo this winter to stabilize the top batting lineup. “Lee Jeong-hoo, a former KBO leaguer, is performing his duties well so far,” he said, praising Lee Jeong-hoo’s innings.

Regarding the overage argument, “San Francisco used as many as 9 batters in the leadoff position last year. “Although the sample is still small, San Francisco’s signing of Lee Jeong-hoo for 6 years and $113 million seems encouraging so far,” he said, clearing his doubt.

/backlight@osen.co.kr

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