Another Asian Star Is Landing in the MLB
South Korean Outfielder, Jung Hoo Lee Is Signing a 6-year $113 Million Deal With the Giants
Grandson of the Wind 🚬
With Shohei Ohtani getting a 10-year, $700 million contract from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jung Hoo Lee getting a six-year, $113 million contract from the San Francisco Giants, there’s a serious Asian movement in the MLB right now.
.@SFGiants, KBO MVP Jung Hoo Lee reportedly agree to 6-year deal, per https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39‘s @Feinsand. pic.twitter.com/L9wfTql74j
— MLB (@MLB) December 12, 2023
Players from South Korea and Japan are getting paid big money. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) of Japan have done a great job developing high-level baseball talent.
Jung Hoo Lee will be fun to watch pic.twitter.com/KCI5ukAjkF
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 12, 2023
Baseball in Asia has only been getting more popular. The Asia Winter Baseball League (AWBL), is a tournament that features six teams representing the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CPBL), Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the Japan Amateur Baseball Association (JABA), just sets records for attendance with 4,025 fans attending opening night.
“Jung Hoo Lee changes the look of this lineup… they’ve needed that starpower.”@jonmorosi details San Francisco’s reported 6-year deal with the KBO star. pic.twitter.com/dBeuvte6nx
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 13, 2023
Asia’s Rising Influence in MLB
Baseball is growing in Asia and fans seeing players like Ohtani and Lee getting paid huge money will help its popularity in the region. That’s not to mention the fact that pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is nearing a huge payday and will likely sign with a big brand like the Dodgers, Yankees, or Red Sox.
The fact that Asian players have generated much of the MLB news and MLB rumors this offseason is a testament to the kind of talent that is coming from Asia. The level of competition in leagues like KBO and NPB is at an all-time high and that’s why these players are having so much success when they start playing in MLB games .
Jung Hoo Lee in 7 KBO seasons:
.340 Career AVG (Highest All-Time)
2022 KBO MVP
2017 KBO ROY
5x Gold Glove Award Winner pic.twitter.com/Hrizf5X39Z— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 13, 2023
Ohtani is the face of the MLB right now. He’s a bigger name than American players like Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper. The fact that a Japanese player who speaks little English has somehow created a bigger brand in the United States proves how great he is.
The fan base in Asia isn’t nearly as big as it is in the US, which is why so many of the top players leave for America. However, it is a growing fan base and it’ll be interesting to see how it develops over the years, especially with some of baseball’s biggest names hailing from Asia.
Author: Sin City Sniper
Author: Sin City SniperBusting bookmakers and taking their money is his greatest joy in life. He’s been around the block more than once, knows the players both on and off the field of battle, and uses his experience to serve the bookies a heaping plate of humble pie washed down by a warm glass of their salty tears. You can find him in any number of Vegas books, sniping weak lines and getting paid to do it.
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