Kiwoom Heroes’ Lee Ju-hyung (22) raised expectations by hitting his first home run in his debut.
Lee Ju-hyung went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs, one run scored, one walk, and one stolen base in a game against the Kiwoom Heroes of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on March 3, starting in center field at No. 5.
Selected by LG in the second round (13th overall) of the 2020 Rookie Draft, Lee joined the Kiwoom uniform via trade on March 29. Kiwoom sent Choi Won-tae to LG in exchange for Lee Ju-hyung, Kim Dong-gyu, and a first-round pick (8th) in the 2024 Rookie Draft.
After being recognized for his hitting prowess at LG, Lee is poised to reach his full potential at Kiwoom. Recognizing his potential, Kiwoom has been giving him consistent opportunities in the outfield.
“In LG, every at-bat was so precious and it was hard to get a single at-bat, but at Kiwoom, they give me three or four at-bats a game, so even if I don’t hit in the first at-bat, I can reflect on what I didn’t do well in the next at-bat, so I think I’m getting better results,” says Lee.
In his first at-bat against his hometown team LG, Lee took off his helmet and bowed to greet the fans at Jamsil Stadium. “I didn’t play much in the first team, so I thought I should greet them,” Lee laughed. “Honestly, I was a little hesitant, but when I did, I was grateful that the fans cheered for me,” he said.
Lee, who went 5-for-11 with one home run, two doubles, two RBIs, two runs scored, and one stolen base in the three-game midweek series against LG, said, “I’m grateful that the LG fans have been supporting me so much, and that they continued to support me even after I came to Kiwoom. I realize that the Kiwoom fans may not be happy to see me here, but I will do my best to repay them with results in this trade and be loved by the fans,” he said.메이저사이트
Lee has been hitting in every game since joining Kiwoom, and his hitting talent is in full bloom. In 23 games this season, he is batting 3-for-4 (11-for-34) with one home run, five RBI, five runs scored, one stolen base, and a .937 OPS. He is already expected to be a ‘poster child’ because of his exceptional hitting ability and defense in center field. Commentators Park Yong-taek and Oh Ji-hwan, as well as other LG seniors, have also praised Lee.
“It’s a lot of pressure,” said Lee, who laughed at the term, “but now is not the time to hear that. I’m playing my first nine-inning game. I think the most important thing is to play my baseball in the opportunity I’m given. When my seniors said, ‘I’m the next Lee Jeong-hoo’ or ‘I can hit 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases,’ I think they were trying to tell me in a good way that I shouldn’t be discouraged. I will do my best to repay them.”