Bae Ji-hwan excluded from starting lineup, Ohtani expected to be number 2 designated hitter

It was predicted that Ha-Seong Kim of the San Diego Padres and Jeong-Hoo Lee of the San Francisco Giants would play as number one hitters in the opening game of the Major League Baseball (MLB).

On the 3rd (Korean time), MLB's official website, MLB.com, predicted the starting lineups and starting rotations for the 30 teams' opening day, predicting Ha-seong Kim and Jeong-hoo Lee as the No. 1 hitters for San Diego and San Francisco, respectively.

Ha-seong Kim was listed as the first batter and second baseman. Last season, he appeared in the most games (73 games) as the number one hitter and achieved a batting average of 0.268, 11 home runs, 35 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.783.

However, it appears that his defensive position will be shortstop rather than second base. San Diego coach Mike Silt has already announced his intention to hire Kim Ha-seong as a shortstop this season. Moreover, Ha-seong Kim is playing as a shortstop in exhibition games.

Lee Jeong-hoo was placed in center field as the number one hitter. He is adapting to the big league by consistently appearing as the number one hitter in exhibition games.

MLB.com commented on Jeong-hoo Lee, “He may experience growing pains coming from the KBO League to MLB, but his excellent contact skills could make him a dynamic presence in San Francisco’s lineup for years to come.”

Lee Jeong-hoo made his MLB debut as the number one hitter in the opening game. San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said last month, “It would be shocking if Lee Jeong-hoo does not appear as the number one hitter in the opening game,” and pointed out that he would be the top hitter early on.

Bae Ji-hwan, who played 111 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, was excluded from the expected opening day starting lineup. Choi Ji-man and Park Hyo-jun, who are seeking to re-enter the big league as invited players, were also not included in the expected lineup.

MLB.com predicted Shohei Ohtani, who plays for the LA Dodgers starting this year, to be the number 2 designated hitter in the opening game. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will debut in the big league this year, was expected to be the starting pitcher for the Dodgers in the opening game. 스포츠토토맨