Breaking NewsGiants Sign OF Jung Hoo Lee to a Staggering 6-Year $113M Contract.And center fielder Jung Hoo Lee reached an agreement on Tuesday six-year,r deal $113 million contract. This is the largest sum of money for an Asian-born batter entering Major League Baseball. And it is a crucial addition for a Giants squad that has struggled with free agency issues recently.
Jong Beom Lee was considered the finest all-around player in the KBO throughout the 1990s.
Lee has been a mainstay in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). It is treated as a member of the royal family. Known as “Grandson of the Wind” (his father was referred to as “Son of the Wind”). Lee’s guarantee surpasses the $90 million that Masataka Yoshida received from the Boston Red Sox. The previous season comes with an opt-out clause following the fourth season.
Ha-Seong Kim Lee’s close buddy who plays infield for the San Diego Padres. He had been a part of the team for a long time. However, the Giants who were thought to be longshots for Ohtani. They intensified their chase of Lee after Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past week. The last two years have seen attempts to recruit big free agents either thwarted (with Aaron Judge) or abandoned. Carlos Correa agreed to a 13-year deal with San Francisco only to have it ruined by a botched medical.
Although Lee does not belong in the same league as Ohtani, Judge, or Correa, the left-handed hitter has a lifetime batting average of 340. With a peak of.360 in 2021 and has batted over.300 in every KBO season. He played 86 games in 2023,slashing .318/.406/.455 with six home runs and 45 RBIs before suffering a damaged left ankle.
Lee’s exceptional contact skills ought to facilitate his major league move. In contrast to the MLB average of 22.7% in 2023 and the KBO average of 18.2%. Lee struck out just 5.4% of the time while hitting from an open stance. Which is when he first advances with his front foot and then pauses as he begins his swing.
If Lee recovers from his ankle injury without any probl,s,. Some evaluators think he has the pace to play decent centre field. However, anticipate him as a right fielder, which puts more burden on the bat. Along with his lack of power this season he also had a ground ball percentage of over 60%. Which would put him ahead of Tim Anderson among MLB regulars in 2023.
Nevertheless, the Giants believed that Lee, who is still just 25 years old, had the potential to be an All-Star player.
In the best-case scenario, he develops into an above-average OBP hitter and a top-of-the-order batter who bats close to 300. He would rather not experience Kim’s learning curve—the final Korean celebrity to join MLB.
Kim struggled in his Padres debut season of 2021, recording an OPS of.622, but he improved to 708 and then.749 over the next two seasons. Kim, Lee’s teammate with the Heroes, had a lifetime batting average of.294 in Korea and hit with greater power than Lee did in the KBO despite having lower hitting averages.
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