S. Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo pleased with new swing

In an attempt to ensure better timing against big league fastball, South Korean star outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, a potential future major leaguer, has been working on a new swing this spring.

 

The process started before spring training and ran through the national team’s training camp for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Arizona. After arriving back home Wednesday evening, Lee said he had found just the right swing for himself.

“Because I had never swung the bat this way, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make good contact early on,” Lee told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. “Luckily, I have been able to find the swing that I find comfortable. I am still not able to put the barrel on the ball yet. I should start doing that pretty soon.”

 

Lee, the reigning MVP in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the Kiwoom Heroes, will be posted by his club for interested major league teams after the 2023 season. He has been drawing the attention of major league scouts for a few years now, and the upcoming WBC will be an international showcase unlike any Lee has had before.

 

It will also be a testing ground for his altered swing.

 

“If I want to face major league pitchers, I can’t afford to come home after just the quarterfinals or even the first round,” Lee said. “I really want to go to the United States (to play in the semifinals and beyond) and hit off major league pitchers.”

 

South Korea is in Pool B with Australia, Japan, the Czech Republic and China, with Japan being the only team featuring current major league pitchers. If South Korea reaches the semifinals and the final, the potential opponents could be the U.S., the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, all stacked with big league pitchers.

South Korea will have a workout on Thursday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, followed by a scrimmage on Friday against the SSG Landers of the KBO. Then it’s off to Osaka, where South Korea will take on two Japanese clubs, the Orix Buffaloes and the Hanshin Tigers, next Monday and Tuesday for final two exhibition games.

 

With inclement weather conditions having disrupted training schedule in Arizona, Lee said he didn’t get to face as much live pitching as he would have liked.

 

“It was the worst weather I’ve ever had in Arizona,” said Lee, whose Heroes also have spring training in the desert state. “I will try to ramp up as quickly as I can when we’re at Gocheok.”

 

 

Source: Yonhap News Agency

scroll to top