“Grandson of the Wind” Lee Jung-hoo (26-San Francisco Giants) has arrived in San Diego, where the Giants will open the 2024 Major League Baseball season and make their debut.
The Giants announced on their social media that the team arrived in San Diego on Monday (Sept. 28) for the opening game. San Francisco, which will open the 2024 season against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, California, at 5:10 a.m. on the 29th, posted a photo of Lee getting off the team’s chartered plane on the front page, showing their high expectations for him.
Not only does the club have high expectations, but so do his teammates. They are already confident of his success before the season begins. ‘Mercury News’, a local newspaper in San Jose, California, USA, reported on the 28th under the headline ‘San Francisco fans eagerly await Lee’s debut’, saying, ‘Unlike Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, and Jorge Soler, who have played in the major leagues with other teams, Lee has an air of mystique because he has spent his entire career in the Korean Baseball Organization.
“If Lee’s skills translate seamlessly from the KBO to the majors, 안전놀이터 the Giants will have a pesky table-setter at first base and an above-average hitter in a ballpark that needs one,” the Mercury News wrote. Lee’s teammates watched him closely during spring training, and here’s what they had to say about him.
Catcher Tom Murphy said,
“He has a great ability to hit the ball. His hitting skill level is unparalleled. Not many players strike out as little as he does.” “He’s goal-oriented, he’s calm. He’s in the best shape of his life as an athlete, and he’s going to have a tremendous year for our team.”
Lee had a career strikeout rate of just 7.7 percent in the KBO. He had more walks (383) than strikeouts (304). In 2022, when he won the MVP award, he had more than twice as many walks (66) as strikeouts (32), resulting in a 5.1% strikeout rate. In exhibition games since reaching the majors, he’s gone 12-for-35 with one home run, five RBIs, and a .991 OPS, while striking out five times and walking four times, lowering his strikeout rate to 10 percent.
Outfielder Michael Conforto called San Francisco’s six-year, $113 million signing of Jung-Hoo Lee a “winning investment,” saying, “He’s a very polished player, he has a knack for making barrel hits. He’s got lightning quick hands. He’s fast, he’s athletic, he knows baseball. I think we’ve all been impressed with him.”
“It’s huge to have that middle infield spot locked down,” said fellow outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. “One of the best things about him is that he’s a really, really good teammate. It’s a pleasure to have him in the locker room,” he said, adding that he appreciates the chemistry.
Veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed, a two-time Gold Glove winner,
added: “He has great natural baseball instincts. As a shortstop, when you look back, you can see the difference between an outfielder who takes a second to read a pitch and an outfielder who is two steps ahead. He’s going to be a great center fielder and will be a great addition to our team,” said Ahmed, who also recognized Lee’s ability to play defense in the middle infield.
“He’s going to be a problem for opposing pitchers at the top of the lineup. You can’t help but hate him when you see him fouling off pitches and staying on base,” Ahmed said, predicting that Lee will be a nuisance for opposing pitchers.
San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said, “He loves the game of baseball. He was comfortable from the first day of spring training in a new country, new people, new environment. I’ve seen a lot of players come in from overseas and I’ve never seen a player adapt as quickly as he has.” “He’s our leadoff hitter in the opener. The opposing starter on the mound will be Darvish Yu, so everyone will be looking forward to the opening game.”
Lee, who was announced by Melvin as the designated hitter in center field on the first day of spring training, will make his major league debut in the 2024 season opener against San Diego on April 29 at Petco Park. San Diego’s starter is Japanese pitcher Darvish, 카지노사이트 추천 who will pitch the opening game against Korea. Lee has fond memories of Darvish, who hit a three-run single to right field in the first round of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) against Korea in March last year.