Lee Jeong-hoo (25, Kiwoom), who has not played a single game in the United States, ranked 14th in the major league free agent rankings. To make a leap forward, the status of the KBO league has risen that much.
Major League Baseball’s official website ‘MLB.com’ selected the 2023-2024 off-season free agent rankings on the 29th (Korean time). Reporter Mark Feinsand ranked the top 25 free agents for the upcoming winter based on conversations with club executives, scouts, and agents.
Korean outfielder Lee Jeong-hoo, who is expected to enter the major leagues through the post-season posting system, was ranked 14th. Reporter Finesand said, ‘Lee Jung-hoo, the 2022 KBO MVP who finished the season early due to ankle surgery, is evaluated as a center fielder with above-average defensive ability with a slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) of .340/.407/.491 over 7 seasons in Korea. ‘It works,’ he explained.
The San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees were selected as potential destinations for Lee Jeong-hoo.
Cuban outfielder Louerdes Gurriel Jr. (Arizona Diamondbacks), who was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his 6th year in the Major League this year and hit 24 home runs, is ranked 15th, one step lower than Jeong-hoo Lee. Teoscar Hernández (Seattle), another All-Star outfielder who won the Silver Slugger Award twice with a total of 159 home runs in eight seasons, is also ranked lower than Lee Jeong-hoo.
Lee Jung-hoo’s value is evaluated higher than that of proven slugger outfielders in the major leagues. Compared to the two players who are in their early 30s, Lee Jeong-hoo’s advantage is that he is younger, in his mid-20s. Unlike the two players who are focused on hitting, his overall value is high because he has a style that can contribute to defense and base running.
Nevertheless, considering the past, it is surprising that Lee Jeong-hoo is ranked higher. The Major League’s perspective on the KBO League has changed that much. Ryu Hyun-jin, who announced his intention to advance to the big leagues after the 2012 season, ranked 37th in ESPN’s top 50 free agent rankings in early November of that year. At the time, there were no players who went directly from the KBO League to the big league, and the mere fact that Ryu Hyun-jin rose to the rankings was of great significance.
Two years later, Kang Jung-ho was not ranked among the top 25 free agents selected by MLB.com in early November 2014. Although Ryu Hyun-jin was successful, it was a time when his experience as a hitter in the KBO League was unproven. However, following Ryu Hyun-jin, Kang Jung-ho also achieved success, raising the status of players from the KBO League. Scouts’ perspectives changed as foreign players from the KBO League, such as Eric Thames and Meryl Kelly, played in the big league.
Infielder Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres) was highly rated, ranking 16th among the top 25 free agents selected by MLB.com in early November 2020. As Kim Ha-seong has established himself as a top infielder three years after entering the major league, generous evaluations and high expectations are being placed on Lee Jung-hoo as well. Among free agent outfielders, it is the third highest ranking after Cody Bellinger (4th) and Jorge Solaire (11th).짱구카지노
Meanwhile, the No. 1 player in the upcoming winter major league free agent rankings according to MLB.com is Shohei Ohtani, who also doubles as a pitcher. Second place is the best pitcher in Japanese professional baseball, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix Buffaloes), and it is noticeable that Japanese players formed a ‘two top team’.
followed by 3rd place Blake Snell (pitcher), 4th place Bellinger (outfielder/first baseman), 5th place Aaron Nola (starting pitcher), 6th place Josh Hader (pitcher), 7th place Sonny Gray (pitcher), and 8th place Jordan Montgomery. (pitcher), 9th place JD Martinez (designated hitter), 10th place Matt Chapman (3rd baseman), 11th place Solaire (outfielder/designated hitter), 12th place Clayton Kershaw (pitcher), 13th place Eduardo Rodriguez (pitcher), 14th place Above, Lee Jeong-hoo, 15th place Gurriel Jr., 16th place Shota Imanaga (pitcher), 17th place Hernández, 18th place Rhys Hoskins (first baseman), 18th place Lucas Giolito (pitcher), 20th place Yariel Rodriguez (pitcher), 21st place Whit Merrifield (inside and outfield utility), 22nd place Jamer Candelario (3rd baseman), 23rd place Jack Flaherty (pitcher), 24th place Hunter Renfro (outfielder), and 25th place Harrison Bader (outfielder).
Among the 25 players in the MLB.com FA rankings, in addition to Lee Jeong-hoo, there are four players without major league experience: Yamamoto, Imanaga, and Rodriguez. Except for Lee Jeong-hoo, the three players have experience in Japanese professional baseball. Lee Jeong-hoo and Yamamoto are the youngest at 25 years old. Youth is your best weapon.