'Grandchild of the Wind' is running again...'Expected to be second in NL batting after crossing Otani' Lee Jung-hoo leaves on the 12th
'Grandchild of the Wind' is running again...'Expected to be second in NL batting after crossing Otani' Lee Jung-hoo leaves on the 12th
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Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants), the "grandchild of the wind," will head to the U.S.
Lee Jung-hoo's management company, Rico Sports Agency, said on the 7th that "Lee Jung-hoo will leave for the United States through Incheon International Airport's second passenger terminal on the 12th." Lee Jung-hoo will meet with reporters before leaving the country to express his determination to prepare for the 2025 season.
Lee Jung-hoo, who finished the 2024 season early due to his injury, got fit through personal training after returning home on October 1 last year. He will likely undergo training in the U.S. before joining his team's spring camp.
While playing in the KBO League for seven years from 2017 to 2013, Lee Jung-hoo recorded a batting average of 0.340 65 home runs, 515 RBIs, 581 runs, and 69 steals with an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.898, while playing in various international competitions, including the 2017 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) and the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Taking on a big league challenge after the end of the 2023 season, Lee signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco on Dec. 13, 2023. San Francisco has long been one of the teams that has observed Lee.
Lee seemed to be adjusting smoothly. He played in 13 exhibition games and recorded a batting average of 0.343, one homer, five RBIs, five walks, two steals and an OPS of 0.911. Notably, he had more walks than strikeouts (4).
Lee Jung-hoo got off to a good start by posting his first big league hit and RBI in the opening game of the U.S. mainland against the San Diego Padres on March 29. On the following day, he achieved his first multi-hit since his big league debut, and on March 31, he even hit his first big league debut home run against San Diego.
After suffering ups and downs for a month in April, Lee garnered hits in six consecutive games from the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 4, increasing his hitting sense. However, his injury was a problem. Lee suffered a serious injury in the home game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 13. He crashed into the fence while trying to make a jump catch to catch a homer off Jaymer Candelario with the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the first inning, and suffered for a while.
Unable to digest the game any longer, Lee headed to the dugout, and a hospital examination revealed that he needed surgery. Finally, Lee decided to have suture surgery on his left shoulder joint, which ended the season. Lee's final performance in the first season of the big league was .262 batting average of 38 at 145 times at bat, two homers, eight RBIs, 15 runs and two steals, OPS of 0.641.
Lee devoted himself to recovery. When he returned to Korea in October last year, Lee told reporters that his rehabilitation training is over. "I think I can build myself up well throughout the winter by playing the offseason program that the club provided me."
The San Francisco Giants still have high expectations for Lee. "Lee Jung-hoo will join the spring camp in good health (February 2025)," San Francisco coach Bob Melvin said positively at the Major League's winter meeting held in Dallas in December last year. He has no restrictions on his training.
MLB.com , the official website of the U.S. Major League Baseball, mentioned Lee Jung-hoo as the most notable player in San Francisco on the 1st. 토토사이트 The media said, "It is expected to participate in spring training full-time, and he can take on center field and leadoff positions," adding, "San Francisco believes Lee Jung-hoo can still show dynamic attacks based on his excellent contact ability."
The prospects are bright, too. "Steamer," a performance forecasting program of the Fangraphic dotcom, a major league statistics website, predicted that Lee will post a batting average of 0.294 with 14 homers, 62 RBIs, 88 runs and 13 steals in 143 games during the 2025 season. In terms of batting average, Lee ranked second overall in the National League, higher than Shohei Ohtani (L.A. Dodgers and Steamer expected batting average of 0.280).
All that remains is to prove his worth with his grades. It remains to be seen whether Lee Jung-hoo will make up for last year's regret.