‘August batting .409’ prospect from LG…new mission with complete trust: “Hit me one more time”

“It’s about getting up to bat at least once more.”

The Kiwoom Heroes will bat Lee Joo-hyung in the leadoff spot for their home game against the Lotte Giants at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Aug. 8.

Lee joined Kiwoom from the LG Twins in a trade on March 29.

Lee joined LG in the second round (13th overall) of the 2020 KBO Draft and was a highly touted prospect with quick feet and precise hitting.

After leading the league this year, LG needed to bolster its domestic lineup and acquired Choi Won-tae from Kiwoom in exchange for Lee Ju-hyung, pitcher Kim Dong-gyu and a 2024 rookie draft pick.

Lee was a standout at Kiwoom. He hit a home run against Chinjung LG on the 3rd and an archer against NC on the 6th. His batting average is a whopping 4-for-9 in the first six games of August.

He started as a 7th hitter when he joined the team, but gradually moved up in the batting order and played as a 1st hitter. His first first-team appearance. 메이저놀이터

Kiwoom coach Hong Won-ki said, “The offense is the best in the team. It’s about getting up to bat at least once. I think it’s a good way for him to score runs and get RBIs.”

Hong’s faith in Lee has also grown. “He was actually a player I was interested in after he was traded,” Hong said with a smile, adding, “I had only heard about him sporadically before, but he seems to be as good as his reputation.”

Including last year, Hong has now played 40 first-team games. He still has some work to do. “He hasn’t played many games, but he hasn’t had full-time experience, so there’s still a process for him to learn how to manage his physical fitness in order to continue to do well,” Hong said, “but he’s been doing better than expected in offense, defense, and baserunning.”

Lee Joo-hyung, batting first for the first time, said, “I have a good feeling and I think the coach put me in the leadoff spot to get more at-bats.” He added, “I don’t think of myself as a leadoff hitter, I’m just going to do what I’m used to doing.”