Analysts say that Kia Tigers’ catcher Lee Sang-joon (18), who was named in the third round of the 2024 Rookie of the Year draft, was actually pushed back a lot. He was the biggest catch of rookies. Kia, which has made every effort to reinforce its home turf, confirmed Lee Sang-joon, who was not picked until the second round, and quickly named him by changing its existing plan. At that time, Shim Jae-hak, the team’s general manager, was satisfied with the recruitment of Lee Sang-joon, more than Cho Dae-hyun, who was nominated in the first round.
Then, why didn’t Lee get a good evaluation this year? Just the batting average shows this. The official records in his freshman and sophomore years were 0.361 and 0.314. However, his batting average has plummeted to 0.243 this season. When I met Lee at the arrival hall of Incheon International Airport on Friday after finishing training in Okinawa, he said, “I ate a lot because I got good grades in my third year of high school.” 토토사이트
Also, he said, “The batting form is broken.” Amateurs don’t have the know-how to overcome bad times. This is because there is no more sophisticated experience, know-how, and routine than a professional. Lee Sang-joon, who did not solve baseball, relieved his stress by eating food.
Still, Kia highly values Lee’s potential. Determined that Lee could grow into a strong catcher with strong batting power, it sent Lee to Okinawa. “I lost about 8 kilograms during the closing camp. I am 101 to 102 kilograms, but I am trying to lose 2-3 kilograms more,” Lee said.
It can be seen as the effect of having a diet and systematically training in a pro. Even at a glance, his face is smaller than in the rookie draft. Lee Sang-joon said, “Ama and pro are on a different level. It’s not that I didn’t do well in high school, but the basics are different. The best players in the country are gathered. If you make a mistake, it stands out. I tried not to do that.”
He seems to have relearned from the basics of catcher to diet through sweating. Manager Kim Jong-kook said, “I lost a lot of weight. I had good understanding and concentration in defense. I had good attack skills since I was a young player. I hit powerfully. I had better defense than I thought. I could see my skills have improved.”
As such, Lee Sang-joon gained confidence and spirit after losing weight. His frank remarks were good to see even after the draft, but he confidently expressed his opinion. “I learned a lot from (Han) Jun-su. There are no seniors or juniors in the baseball field. I want to join the first division as soon as possible in the second division. Jun-su hyung did a stable job in the first division, and I also want to settle in the first division in a year,” he said.
Expectations were also high for a showdown between Hwang Joon-seo (Hanwha Eagles) and Kim Taek-yeon (Doosan Bears), the two biggest high school players. “I’ve never played Junseo balls before, but I’m confident in hitting left-handed pitchers,” Lee said. “Taekyeon’s balls struck out once and had a hit once.” It remains to be seen whether they will face off in the main league.
He was closely supervised by coaches Lee Bum-ho and Hong Se-wan. “I practiced a lot to relax. Coach Lee Bum-ho said, “Even if it goes over the fence, it’s a home run.” He said he didn’t have to hit an outdoor homer. “I relaxed, but it’s not too late to hit the bat speed. I will do my best in the spring camp.”