Lee Jung-hoo (25, Kiwoom Heroes) has been ranked among the top free agents in Major League Baseball (MLB).
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, released its “Top 25 Free Agent Rankings of the 2023-2024 Offseason” on Thursday (ET). Among the top 25, which were selected based on the evaluations of club officials, scouts, and agents, Lee was ranked 13th.
Since his debut in 2017, Lee has appeared in 884 games over seven seasons in the KBO, batting .340 (3,476 hits in 1,181 at-bats) with 65 home runs, 515 RBI, 69 doubles and an OPS of 0.898. Despite missing much of the season due to injury after declaring for overseas duty, he was still among the league’s best, batting .318 (105-for-330) with six home runs, 45 RBIs and an OPS of 0.861.토토사이트
“The 2022 KBO League MVP has a slash line of .340/0.407/0.491 in seven seasons in South Korea, and he hit .429 for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic,” MLB.com noted, adding, “He is considered to be an above-average defender in center field.” The San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees are among the teams most likely to sign Lee.
Meanwhile, Shohei “Idoryu” Ohtani is the No. 1 overall free agent. The two-hit wonder revolutionized the major leagues this year, and despite an injury that ended his season prematurely, he put up MVP-caliber numbers at the plate, batting .304 with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, 20 doubles, and a 1.066 OPS in 135 games. As a pitcher, Ohtani was also one of the league’s top starters, going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 games and striking out 167 batters in 132 innings pitched, making him one of the biggest names in free agency this offseason and a favorite to break the all-time free agent record.
Second on the list is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, one of the best pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). The ace of the Orix Buffaloes, Yamamoto went 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA in 23 games this season, striking out 196 batters in 164 innings, becoming the first pitcher in NPB history to win four straight titles. “Scouts believe Yamamoto can be an immediate No. 1 or No. 2 starter in a big league starting rotation,” MLB.com reported, noting that the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox are among the teams expected to show interest.
Also ranked third was Blake Snell, who led the majors in ERA this season; fourth was Cody Bellinger, who has enjoyed a resurgence with the Chicago Cubs; and fifth was Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola.