“Lee Jung-hoo will be an interesting choice for MLB team,” U.S. leading sources say, showing signs of a big hit in “FA TOP 10.”
Lee Jung-hoo (25, Kiwoom), who is set to enter the major leagues via the postseason posting system (closed competitive bidding), has been garnering praise from the local media. The general consensus is that he could be an attractive option based on his skills and market conditions.
John Morosi, a columnist for MLB.com and one of Major League Baseball’s leading sources, took a look at the Asian players to keep an eye on in the upcoming Major League Baseball free agency market on Wednesday. There are a number of Japanese players hoping to make it to the majors, including the KBO’s best hitter, Lee Jung-hoo. This is another way to watch the free agency market.굿모닝토토 주소
Players who played in Japan or South Korea have no major or minor league experience. There is not enough data to directly compare them to big league players. No matter how long you scout, it’s an uncertain world. Nevertheless, Asian players such as Lee Jung-hoo and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix) have garnered a lot of attention in this market. Their skill in the league, competitiveness at international level, and relative youth compared to the established players seems to be appealing.
Yamamoto is ranked in the top five of almost every media outlet’s FA Power Rankings. Many outlets even have Yamamoto ranked behind Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels), who is the biggest name in baseball. It’s gotten to the point where there’s no disagreement that he’s the best pitcher in baseball. The next big signing after Yamamoto is Lee Jung-hoo. He’s one of the best hitters in the KBO, and he’s also been competitive on the international stage, including the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Moroshi also introduced Lee in this column after Yamamoto. “The 25-year-old would be an interesting option for major league teams given the relative dearth of top-notch hitters in free agency,” Moroshi wrote, “The left-handed hitter has played primarily in center field in the KBO. He hit a career-high 23 home runs in 2022 and has also represented South Korea at the highest international level, including the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he batted .429 in four games.
He went on to compare Lee to Ander Inciarte, who won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 2016 to 2018. Inciarte, a Venezuelan native who made his major league debut in 2014 with Arizona, is a center fielder with excellent defense, and he won the Gold Glove for three consecutive years from 2016 while playing for Atlanta and was an All-Star in 2017.
Inciarte isn’t the type of hitter who has a high slugging percentage or is familiar with double-digit home runs. Instead, he was a player with good batting average and accuracy. He hit .303 in 132 games in 2015, .291 in 131 games in 2016, and .304 in 157 games in 2017. Add to that top-notch defense and decent on-base percentage. He bears some resemblance to Lee Jung-hoo, who is considered to have a precise bat and above-average middle infield defense.
Morosi announced that the Kiwoom Heroes will post Lee in January, giving them time to prepare for the superstar’s departure. The KBO postseason is ongoing, so the official posting of Lee is about two weeks away,” he said, adding that St. Louis, the New York Yankees, San Diego, and San Francisco are among the teams expected to look for an impact outfielder this offseason.
The line of major league clubs lining up to watch Lee has been a long one. In fact, it’s safe to say that nearly all 30 teams have evaluated Lee, and there aren’t many good options in the middle infield this year. This is why we can expect the market to heat up. San Francisco and San Diego are two of the teams Morrissey mentioned that have been following Lee the most closely, while the New York Yankees have been the subject of speculation in the New York media.
There is also a view that Daewoo will not be disappointed. Keith Law, a prominent columnist for North American sports publication The Athletic, ranked Lee 10th in his free agent rankings on Wednesday. Among outfielders, he is second behind Cody Bellinger. Tim Britton, a statistical analyst for the same publication, used a case-by-case comparison and found Lee to be worth $16.5 million per year. Considering he’s still in his mid-20s, if a team were to sign him to a six-year deal, it’s not out of the question that he could be worth over $100 million in total, including posting fees. That’s not a bad deal.
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