Description
Korean major leagues are taking a slightly different turn. Lee Jung-hoo is cruising, and Kim Ha-sung is somewhat disappointed. Ko Woo-suk is in time for a new challenge, and Jang Hyun-suk took his first step well.
For now, Lee Jung-hoo (25) of the San Francisco Giants, the grandson of the wind, is adjusting well in general. In an away game against the Colorado Rockies during the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season held at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday (Korea time), Lee started as the first batter to center field, hitting three hits in five times at bat, and adding one run. His performance in multi hits (more than two hits in a game) for two consecutive days following his previous two hits on the previous day, and his performance in five consecutive games has continued to increase. Lee's batting average for this season rose from 0.252 to 0.264 (37 hits in 140 times at bat), as he played a three-hit game, which included two infield hits, at Coors Field, the grave of a pitcher and the paradise for hitters. As the team's main hitter, Lee has shown consistent ups and downs. My team's response is that there is no need to worry too much as he continues to generate hits.
Kim Ha-sung (28) of the San Diego Padres expressed regret over his lackluster batting performance in the early days of this season. His pace has significantly decreased compared to last year. The same was true on Tuesday. He lost in a showdown with Shota (Chicago Cubs), a Japanese pitcher who is creating a sensation in the U.S. Major League Baseball this year. In an away game against the 2024 MLB Cups at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, Kim started as the seventh batter and had one hit in four times at bat. His batting average for this season slightly increased from 0.209 to 0.210. This is a batting average that is hardly comparable to that of Kim Ha-sung. However, Kim has experience that he has accumulated in the Major League thus far. Based on his outstanding defense and fast feet that earned Gold Glove last year, he is still racing toward the FA jackpot.
Ko, who had been in the minor league since signing a contract with the San Diego Padres ahead of this season, is leaving for his new home. He was included in the "one-on-four" trade between the San Diego Padres and the Miami Marlins. Other players included in the trade card are outfielder Dylan Head (19), outfielder Jacob Marcy (22), and infielder Nathan Matorella (23). The four players including Ko have yet to make the big league stage.
At the end of the last season, Ko wore a San Diego uniform through the posting system (closed competitive bidding) with the consent of the LG Twins, an original member of the KBO League. The terms of the contract were 2+1 year, up to 7 million dollars. However, due to poor performance in exhibition games, he accompanied the San Diego Padres to the Seoul Series in March but was eliminated from the opening roster. Since the season's opening, he has had two losses, one save and a 4.38 ERA in 10 games as a member of San Antonio Mission, a double-A team under San Diego.
Ko is on the brink of being kicked out. If he fails to perform well in Miami as well, he could be released in the 2025 season. When he signed with San Diego, he refused to be demoted to the minor league in 2025, which could be a handshake. This is because Miami can send Ko out altogether to keep his big league entry. If this happens, Ko should return to his original team LG early next year. Ko is preparing to make his big league debut in Triple-A, a step higher in Miami.
Jang Hyun-suk, who joined the LA Dodgers from Masan Yongmago last year, also showed impressive pitching. Jang started the game against the Cleveland Guardians` rookie team at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona on Tuesday, and displayed excellent pitching. He struck out three and gave no run during two innings. Jang reigned as the biggest fish in high school last year. He garnered attention from domestic and foreign clubs based on his good curves for fastballs with speeds of up to 155 kilometers. The winner of the competition was the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jang was a down payment of 900,000 U.S. dollars and wore an LA Dodgers uniform. After completing his military service with the gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, he entered the training camp in January, completed basic military training, and has been preparing to go to the U.S.
BY: 스포츠토토