The 30-year-old Futures home run king, who is showing a strong sense of hitting in the demonstration game, will this year be really different?
In the 2023 KBO League demonstration game, which has been in progress since the 13th, many people will talk about this player if asked to pick one of the hottest hitters so far. This is Samsung Lions outfielder Lee Seong-gyu.
Currently, Seong-gyu Lee has played 11 demonstration games and has a batting average of .400, 10 hits, 5 home runs and 10 RBIs, and an OPS (slugging percentage + on-base percentage) of 1.484. Home runs and RBIs are both first.
hot. He hit a come-from-behind home 메이저사이트run against Kiwoom Heroes on the 24th, and hit another home run against Doosan Bears on the 25th, showing Samsung coach Park Jin-man that the current feeling is not a coincidence.
If it is the current trend, joining the opening entry does not seem to be a problem. The 2020 season was the last time Lee Seong-gyu participated in the opening series. In the 2021 season, there is no record of first-team participation, and in the 2022 season, it was not until May 24 (KIA Tigers match) that the first-team stage was stepped on.
Lee Seong-gyu, who joined Samsung in the 31st place in the 2nd 4th round in 2016, was called a prospect from the moment he joined. He topped the Futures League in the 2018 season while serving in the police baseball team. He had a batting average of .366, 82 hits, 31 homers, 79 RBIs and 60 runs scored, bringing home run and RBI titles.
In the 2020 season, he hit his first double-digit home run in his debut with 10 home runs, receiving everyone’s expectations, but that was all. In his last season, outside of his debut season, he made just 13 appearances. Every time he tried to explode, injuries held his ankle, and when he returned, he had no place in the first team.
Lee Seong-gyu did not neglect, sweating heavily from the spring camp of the 2023 season, which may be the last. The start of his spring camp was Futures, but he was called up to the first team in the second half of the camp and is still receiving opportunities to play in the first team. He diligently participated in the training and overcame all the hell of Park Jin-man’s training.
In addition, Kim Hyeon-joon, who was expected to play an active role as the starting center fielder, is expected to miss about three months due to an injury. Perhaps another opportunity has come for Lee Seong-gyu, who decided to focus only on outfield defense, not inside and outfield this season. He’s not bad at outfield defense and he’s good at main.
Previously, manager Park Jin-man said of Lee Seong-gyu, “It seems that I am gradually gaining a sense in the outfield defense. Because he has talent, he is a player who has the power to explode at any time if he gains confidence.”
Of course, there is no guarantee that his performances in demonstration games will lead to regular season performances. However, the confidence he gained from exhibition games could carry over into the regular season. Also, Samsung fans have the hope that the earnestness that has not been shown yet will explode properly this time.
Lee Seong-gyu, who always had the tag of ‘prospect’ in front of his name, is it really different this year?