“Possesses above-average defense”
Major League Baseball (MLB) prospect Lee Jung-hoo, 25, is ranked No. 14 in MLB.com’s free agent rankings.
MLB.com released its top 25 MLB free agent rankings for the 2023-2024 offseason today.
Jung-Hoo Lee, who will be looking to break into the big leagues this winter, is ranked No. 14. “Jung-hoo is expected
to return to the postseason after undergoing ankle surgery that ended his season early,” MLB.com said.
“The 2022 KBO Most Valuable Player batted .429 at the 2023 World Baseball Classic and hit .340 with a .407 on-
base percentage and .491 slugging percentage in the KBO. He also has above-average defense for a center fielder.”
MLB.com listed the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Seattle Mariners as possible destinations for Lee.
Lee broke into the professional ranks in 2017 after being drafted by the Nexen Heroes (now the Kiwoom Heroes) in
the first round, and in seven seasons in the KBO, he hit .340 with 65 home runs, 515 RBI, 69 doubles, and an OPS of 0.898.
Last season, he led the league in batting average, hits, RBIs, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage, while
winning five batting titles and the regular season MVP.
After seven seasons in the KBO, Lee will now pursue the MLB Challenge through the posting system. He formalized
his MLB challenge after the 2022 season, and in late January of this year, he joined forces with MLB’s “super agent” Scott Boras.
The No. 1 free agent is Shohei Ohtani. MLBcom writes, “Ohtani is the top free agent in this market, even with his
second elbow surgery. He is expected to be able to pitch again in 2025 at the earliest.”
Rounding out the top five are Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, left-handed starter Blake Snell, outfielder