“I dream of Lee Jung-hoo, but you’re talking about this…”
Kiwoom outfielder Lee Joo-hyung, 22, rubs his hands together and seems uncomfortable with the idea of a ‘post-Lee Jung-hoo’. But when you look at his talent and athleticism, you can see why he was LG’s favorite prospect. He’s an exceptional rookie who has already completed his military service, so it’s inevitable that he will be talked about.
In 38 games, Lee is batting .308 with 28 hits in 91 at-bats, three home runs, 15 RBI, 17 runs scored, three doubles, an OPS of .855 and a slugging percentage of .353. His role in the fully-stocked LG was limited, and the Futures League was small. In a Kiwoom uniform, he exploded with potential as expected.
Most notably, in 20 games with Kiwoom, Lee went 24-for-76 with a 0.316 OPS and 0.882 OPS with three stolen bases. Fully established himself as a starting center fielder. If he plays full-time, he’ll hit 20 homers and 20 doubles someday, and he’s looking like he could do it right now.
He makes good contact and has the ability to steal second base with his quick feet. He struck out three times against the Gocheok Lotte on the 20th, and struck out five times against the Lotte on the 8th. His defense at the plate and his ability to improvise can only improve with experience.
But it’s his unique talent baseball that keeps Kiwoom fans entertained. In the eighth inning of the game against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 19th, he came up as the leadoff hitter, reached on an error, and stole second base on a balk. The Lotte battery noticed Lee’s start, but his speed was too fast.
The 2504-hit legend and KBS N Sports commentator Park Yong-taek, who was broadcasting the game, laughed and said, “That’s fast.” “I dream of Lee Jung-hoo. I’m telling you, Lee Joo-hyung would be better than Lucas. The only thing Lee Jung-hoo lacks is movement on the roulette wheel.”
It’s true. Lee Jung-hoo’s defense is quite good, just not as good as his offense. However, his mobility is relatively unremarkable. He doesn’t have slow feet, but he’s not super fast like Kim Hye-sung. He’s a good hitter, so there’s no reason for him to attempt many stolen bases. However, Hong Won-ki said that Lee’s explosive power is nothing compared to Kim’s.먹튀검증
No one thinks Kiwoom will go to the postseason this year. We’ve come too far to talk about the top five, even in hindsight. Regardless, the die has been cast, and now they need to nurture and use the gifts of Lee Ju-hyung and Choi Won-tae that they will receive from LG. With them, we need to build a bright future again. Kiwoom is a club that is good at developing players, but lately they have been criticized for not being able to get anyone to break out. Just look at Lee Ju-hyung and you can smile.