Lee Jung-hoo made it to MLB, Puig was also happy?"He showed that Korean players can do it"
Lee Jung-hoo made it to MLB, Puig was also happy?"He showed that Korean players can do it"
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Yasiel Puig (Kium Heroes), a "wild horse" who returned to the KBO League in three years, sent a message of support to his former teammates who are playing in the U.S. Major League Baseball.
Puig is raising his pace smoothly in time for the opening of the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League regular season on the 22nd. Since the exhibition game against KT Wiz on the 10th, he has not played for more than 10 days due to anxiety, but he says he has no problem at all.
After training at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 18th, Puig said, "I played many practice games during the second spring camp in Taiwan. I don't think the exhibition game is very important," adding, "I will prepare well for the regular season opener."
Puig, born in 1990, is a Cuban outfielder. He boasts the most splendid career among major league players who played in Korea since the KBO League introduced a foreign player system in 1998.
Puig started his professional career with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2013. Through the 2019 season, he had a batting average of 0.267, 834 hits, 132 homers, 441 runs, 415 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.822, in 861 games in the big leagues.
Puig is also familiar to Korean fans, especially because he was a team mate who played with "Korean Monster" Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles) and the Dodgers from 2013 to 2018.
Puig signed a contract with Kiwoom in the 2022 season and challenged himself to the KBO League. He showed a batting average of 0.277 (131 hits in 473) with 21 homers, 73 RBIs and 6 steals in 126 games, and displayed good performance with an OPS of 0.841. It was regrettable considering his name value, but he did his part as a foreign hitter considering his strong tendency to throw and throw batters at the time.
Puig has been a "big game player," especially during the postseason of the 2022 season. From the semi-playoff to the Korean Series, he hit hard with a batting average of 0.294 (15 hits in 51 times at bat) and two homers, six RBIs and an OPS of 0.889 in a total of 14 games. Kiwoom played a critical role in playing in the Korean Series for the third time since its foundation.
Puig has not played in the KBO League for the past two years as his contract with Kiwoom failed due to privacy issues ahead of the 2023 season. With all his personal problems resolved, he will return to Kiwoom in the 2025 season and play in front of Korean fans.
Kiwoom was humiliated by staying at the bottom for two consecutive years in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Judging that reinforcing the batting lineup is important for the elimination of the team, it filled two of the three slots for foreign players with batters.
Puig has a heavy mission to lead the Reuben Cadines and Kiwoom-centered batting line this year. Compared to the 2022 season when he played with one of the leading hitters in the entire league as well as Kiwoom such as Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Hye-sung, it is true that the Heroes' domestic batters are less heavy.
Lee Jung-hoo moved to the San Francisco Giants after the 2023 season and achieved his dream of making his Major League debut. Kim also signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the end of the 2024 season and moved across the Pacific Ocean.
After being asked, "Isn't it awkward that Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Hye-sung is not in Kiwoom?" Puig emphasized, "There is nothing awkward about it. I was personally happy that Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Hye-sung showed that Korean players can also play at the major league level as they entered the major leagues."
Puig also expressed his view that the skills and potential of Kiwoom's young players are never going down. He expressed confidence that the Heroes will not stay at the bottom this year.
Puig said, "I can't pick a specific player, but Kiwoom's young players have really good energy right now. I'm going to work harder, too," adding, "In baseball, it's not about age, it's about skills. Young players can grow enough when they get a chance." 메이저놀이터
"Veterans should say to young players, 'You're already a key player. You don't have to feel pressured,'" he said. "Young players showed good performance in the trial game, and I will help them continue their performance in the regular season."