Everyone was sure of success. There was no player comparable in power, and his attitude to baseball was good. It is a huge body, but it has speed and flexibility, so there was a high possibility that it would improve technically.
The key was ‘when’. 2nd team coach Hwang Byeong-il, general manager Cha Myung-seok, and hitting coach Lee Ho-joon predicted that he would one day become LG’s No. 4 hitter and hit more than 30 home runs. However, it was not easy to predict when that point would be. But maybe that time will be now. This is the story of Jamsil Big Boy Lee Jae-won (24).
Of course, it’s only 5 games starting now. However, the result is of course different from the process. He plays the opposing battery calmly and doesn’t react to balls out of the strike zone. If the opponent wins with a breaking ball, wait accordingly and fire a cannon at an advantageous ball count. Even then, he confidently releases the bat from the first pitch and strikes at the right time. Until the match against KT in Jamsil on the 17th, he is eating the ground with 2 homers, 6 RBIs, a batting average of 0.304, and an OPS of 1.037 in 26 at-bats.
It’s not just a result. Starting from the finish camp in November of last year, he set the direction and prepared for the season. He focused on maintaining his swing but not being pushed back in a fight with his opponent. After the game on the 17th, Lee Jae-won said, “I always trained while thinking. He did not train vaguely, but as he thought more, he felt why he had to train like this.” He said, “The coach always tells me to relax. He always tries to relax,” he said.
From the point of view of the opposing team, Lee Jae-won is a hitter who does not need to play head-to-head. One mismatch is a home run. So whenever pitchers face Lee Jae-won, the percentage of breaking pitches is high, and there are many cases where pitchers throw balls rather than strikes. This is also the reason coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop trained Lee Jae-won to see hundreds of balls every day. Lee Jae-won can become invincible if he reads the flow and maintains his vision.
He is also an ideal hitter at close range. He is Moon Seong-joo, who is his motivation for joining and is always close to him. Moon Seong-ju recorded a batting average of 0.301 and on-base percentage of 0.401 last year, and a batting average of 0.326 and on-base percentage of 0.418 this year. He has both accuracy and a pioneering eye, and is active as the league’s best table setter along with Hong Chang-ki.
Lee Jae-won said, “I usually talk a lot about batting with Sung Joo-hyung. He is the older brother who is the motivation for joining. He has been close since he came to LG and is very close. As much as that, he listens to Sung Joo-hyung’s advice and refers to Seong Joo-hyung’s appearance a lot,” he said. Looking at him, he seems to be getting a lot of help.”
Theory alone cannot produce results. Just looking at it doesn’t work. Ultimately, all you need is experience. Director Yeom emphasized that Lee Jae-won should be selected consistently from the moment he took the baton. He predicted that he would put it in the lineup even if he suffered 3 or 4 strikeouts in the lower batting order with less pressure.
I also put the answer to the saturation of the outfield in my head. The starting lineup is full of top-notch outfielders, including Lee Jae-won, but they are trying to solve this problem by working 5 days a week. Five outfielders, Kim Hyeon-soo, Park Hae-min, Hong Chang-ki, Moon Seong-joo, and Lee Jae-won, enter four positions, including the designated hitter, and take a break one by one. On the 17th, Moon Seong-ju, who suffered a small injury during the game the day before, waited on the bench. On the 18th, Park Hae-min, who has been playing regularly, can take a break.
He is a player coveted by everyone inside and outside the club. His name was constantly on the trade negotiation table. However, LG’s position has always been firm.토스카지노
In response to the trade rumors in May of last year, general manager Cha said, “There will be no trade for Lee Jae-won,” and “Lee Jae-won’s power does not come from being taught. It was really innate. He is a hitter who will hit 30 homers in Jamsil someday. If I go to another team, I will go over 40. I can’t see Lee Jae-won hitting 40 home runs on another team,” he declared ‘no trade’.
LG was more thirsty than any other team. So LG boldly selected Lee Jae-won in the 2018 rookie draft, which was dominated by pitchers in the top round. I was prepared for a long-term project, but last year, the 5th year, the possibility was revealed, and this year, the 6th year, expectations are turning into confidence.