The wall of ML that was high for Kim Jae-hwan and Na Sung-beom, then what is the probability of Lee Jeong-hoo? [MD포커스]

[마이데일리 = 윤욱재 기자] Who will be the next runner to challenge the major leagues? Kim Ha-seong (26) successfully entered the major leagues by signing San Diego for up to $39 million in 4+1 years, and Na Sung-beom (32) failed because there was no desired level of love call. Yang Hyeon-jong, 33, is still waiting for time.

Ha-sung Kim and Seong-beom Na are sluggers who scored 30 homers and more than 100 RBIs in the KBO league last year, but Kim Ha-seong was valuable in that he was a young age in his 20s and a position as an infielder and a utility player who can handle multiple positions.

On the other hand, Na Seong-beom was in his 30s and had a history of injuries that had operated on his knees, and above all, he was an outfielder. It is difficult to advance to the major leagues unless you have superior attack power. The same is true of Kim Jae-hwan’s (33) failure last year. Kim Jae-hwan also tried to advance to the major leagues through postings, but he also challenged the season when the number of home runs dropped sharply, and his age and outfielder position also acted as a stumbling block.

It is interesting to see who will challenge the major league stage after their challenge. Currently, the most promising candidate is Lee Jung-hoo (23).

Lee Jung-hoo’s growth rate is scary. As soon as he debuted on the pro stage in 2017, Lee Jung-hoo, who won the rookie king, was a hitting machine with 179 hits and a .324 batting average at the time, and only two home runs. In 2018, he hit a career high of .355, and in 2019, he hit 193 hits, the highest in his life, but again, the number of home runs was six side by side, which did not even fill the double digits.

However, despite last year’s batting average of .333, which was only 3 ri from 2019 (.336), the number of home runs soared to 15 and the RBI was 101, making the first 100 RBI season. A whopping 49 doubles. He set a new record for the most doubles in a season in the KBO League. His slugging percentage was .524, which was also a career high.

Left-handed outfielders Kim Jae-hwan and Na Seong-beom, like Lee Jung-hoo, have failed, but it is true that Lee Jeong-hoo’s chances of success appear higher than those. What is the reason? As mentioned above, Lee Jung-hoo is now reborn as a’complete’ with accuracy, long hitting, and solver skills. He has already filled the 4 full-time seasons, and if he fills the next 3 seasons with full time, he can challenge the major league stage after 2023. Even assuming that he has been playing in the United States since 1999, his age is 26, so he can appeal as’age’.

One of the reasons major league clubs paid attention to Kim Ha-Sung was age. Kim Ha-seong was also ranked at the top of the FA rankings selected by major American media, but younger players like Kim Ha-seong were rarely present in the free agency market, so they could take a higher ranking.

In addition, the fact that he is affiliated with Kiwoom, who actively promotes overseas expansion, can give wings to Lee Jung-hoo’s advance into the major leagues. Kiwoom has pursued in-depth advances to the major leagues of Kang Jung-ho, Park Byeong-ho, and Kim Ha-seong, and all of them have successfully signed contracts with the major league clubs. The preparation process was different from the players who suddenly pushed for advancement to the United States. Ha-sung Kim was also able to prepare step by step as the club officially announced that posting was allowed. On the day when the posting of Kim Ha-seong was confirmed, Lee Jung-hoo expressed his willingness to challenge, saying, “I am still young, but when I get old and become able to go abroad, I want to challenge. I want to go to the United States more than Japan. I want to go someday.”

If not Lee Jung-hoo, who has not only a young age but also a terrifying growth rate and a club environment that actively supports overseas expansion, what kind of player can be said to be the next major league candidate?

[김재환-나성범-이정후(왼쪽부터). 사진 = 마이데일리 DB]