Two young men nurtured their dreams in Goguryeo. On the stage of their dreams, they became enemies.
The 2024 season of Major League Baseball is about to begin. The league officially opened last week with a two-game ‘Seoul Series’ between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. However, the opening games in the mainland U.S. will begin simultaneously on the 29th (KST).
From the start, there are big matches that will excite Korean baseball fans. The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants will face off at Petco Park in San Diego.
San Diego’s Kim Ha-seong and San Francisco’s Lee Jung-hoo will face off against each other.
The two are inseparable, and they’re a formidable duo.
They grew up together in the Kiwoom Heroes and became top stars in the KBO. Kim started his professional career in 2014 when he joined Kiwoom’s predecessor organization, Nexen. 카지노사이트 He was recognized as an offensive shortstop with strong shoulders, a long bat, and quick feet. He hasn’t had a season with fewer than 19 home runs since 2015, his second year as a full-time starter, including 30 in 2020.
In 2021, he joined San Diego to fulfill his dream of playing in the big leagues.
He struggled to adapt in his first season, but he got the concept. In the KBO, it was offense, and in the majors, it was defense. His defensive prowess at every position in the infield earned him more playing time. Last season, his offense exploded and he became the team’s new No. 1 hitter with his sensible base running.
He became a national star, winning the Gold Glove Utility award, the highest honor given to a defender. He’s a free agent after this season. He’s got the makings of a big break. He is already recognized as one of San Diego’s top stars. His presence in the ‘Seoul Series’ was not missed.
Lee joined Nexen in 2017, three years later than Kim Ha-seong. Lee played shortstop in high school, but he switched to the outfield when he came to the professional ranks. He decided to give up his weak defense and go “all in” on his offense.
It paid off.
In his rookie season, he was a sensation, playing in all 144 games and batting .179 with a .322 average. He then added power to his arsenal and was recognized as a complete hitter, hitting 23 home runs in the 2022 season. Watching his senior Kim Ha-seong, Lee gradually prepared himself for the major leagues and signed a six-year, $113 million contract with San Francisco ahead of this season.
He was given the starting middle infield job from the start of spring training and was treated extremely well by the organization throughout the exhibition games, where he adjusted to the new stage and showed off his ability to make contact. He finished the exhibition with a 3-for-4 record, raising expectations for the regular season.
It would have been interesting to see the two battling it out at No. 1, but that won’t happen.
New San Diego manager Mike Schildt experimented with Kim in the No. 5 spot in exhibition games, and he batted fifth in the opening two games against the Dodgers. “I like to have a guy in the five spot who makes good contact,” Schultz said. He sends pitches to all parts of the field, and he doesn’t back down to the plate very often,” Schultz said. “He has a good batting average and can drive the ball,” he added. “Playing him in the No. 5 spot helps us score more runs.”
The series starts at Petco Park, home of Kim Ha-seong. 메이저사이트 It’s a four-game series. Soon after, Kim will visit Lee Jung-hoo’s new home, Oracle Park. The two teams will play another three-game series on June 6, with San Diego facing St. Louis at home and San Francisco traveling to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The matchup between Lee Jung-hoo and Shohei Ohtani will also be of interest. Due to the rotation, a matchup between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Lee Jung-hoo is highly unlikely.