Direct comparison is difficult because the four players each played in the Major League, Japanese professional baseball, and KBO League have different stages and different timings. Baseball fans weigh their performances in the top league, the Major League, and compare them against Japanese professional baseball and KBO league performances.
Thus, Lee Seung-yeop, the only player who did not play in the Major League, is in the back row. “Chugangdaeyeop” is not a problem that has no correct answer, but a problem that each player has different evaluation criteria. All four players are outstanding batters.
He has a variety of home runs, including the No. 1 individual home run (467), the most home runs in a single season (56 in 2003), the youngest 100 home runs (22 years, 8 months, 17 days), the youngest and least 200 home runs (24 years, 10 months, 3 days, 816 games), the youngest and least 300 home runs (26 years, 10 months, 4 days, 1075 games), and 30 home runs in seven consecutive seasons.
In addition, Lee won the Golden Glove 10 times (1997-2003, 2012, 2014 and 2015) and the MVP of the regular season five times (1997, 1999, 2001-2003). In his retirement game against Kiwoom in Daegu on Oct. 3, 2017, he hit consecutive homeruns off Han Hyun-hee, the starting pitcher of the team, proving that his class is different.
Lee Dae-ho said, “Honestly, no one can beat Lee Seung-yeop. Seung-yeop is the best at hitting home runs. Let’s admit that. Then Yup should go to the front.”
“Seung-yeop is Korea’s No. 1 in his home run technique. He is not that tall, but he can push himself to hit 56 home runs in a season. In the same year that he won seven times in batting, he also hit 44 home runs. “I thought he hit that a lot, but to hit more than 50 home runs in a season is nonsense,” he said highly of Lee’s ability.
Lee named Choo Shin-soo second after manager Lee Seung-yeop. Choo has displayed remarkable performance in the Major League by posting a batting average of 275 (1,671 hits in 6,087 times at bat) with 218 homers, 782 RBIs, 961 runs and 157 steals.
“I admit that he has performed really well in the U.S. and has posted many good records as an Asian player for a long time,” Lee said. “If he decides to hit long balls, he can hit really far. As he is the first batter, he only focuses on getting on base, but if he decides to hit far, he hits farther than me.”
“If Shin-soo had played baseball in Korea, he would have become a home run hitter, not a batter with an on-base percentage. (He has the ability to hit long hits), but it is great that he focuses on getting on base,” he said.
“I will compete next time (Lee Seung-yeop and Choo Shin-soo),” Lee Dae-ho, who picked himself as the third batter, said. “He was the best player in Korea. He is an optimized swing for fastballs. He has good wrist strength and points. On the other hand, his ability to handle breaking balls is not comparable to his capacity.”