WBC Korea-Japan Match, Who Will Smile: Lee Jung-hoo VS Murakami

On the 10th, Korea-Japan 'No. 4 Genius Batter' Showdown
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Expected to Watch the Game
Anticipation for Lee Jung-hoo's 'Bat Throwing Ceremony'

"It's not just a Korea-Japan match, it's a batter showdown. I want to see the 'bat toss ceremony'!"

This was a comment made by a baseball fan ahead of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Korea-Japan game. Here, the batters are Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom Heroes) and Murakami Munetaka (Yakult Swallows). The matchup between Lee Jung-hoo, the KBO League MVP and five-time batting title winner last season, and Murakami, who hit 56 home runs last season setting the record for the most home runs by a Japanese batter in a single season, is attracting attention as a battle between the genius batters of Korea and Japan.

The 'bat toss ceremony' is Lee Jung-hoo’s celebration where he slams his bat into the ground after hitting a home run, and baseball fans hope his bat will be planted in the "heart of Japanese baseball," the Tokyo Dome.

Kiwoom Heroes Lee Jung-hoo. Photo by Yonhap News

Lee Jung-hoo, the 'Batting Genius' Who Evolves Himself

Lee Jung-hoo’s batting strength lies in his continuous self-evolution. According to Lee Jung-hoo, his batting advantage is not a completed form but an ongoing development. In an interview with in September 2021, he said, "My batting form is basically the same as in high school, but it has been perfected more since turning pro. Without changing the form, the coaches have helped me hit better."

In summary, he consistently adjusts and refines his batting form to match the pitches of excellent pitchers. This is why Lee Jung-hoo keeps improving. These efforts are reflected in his records. He holds the highest career batting average in the KBO League (0.342) and is regarded as having exceptional contact ability. Additionally, last season he hit 23 home runs, showing improved power hitting.

This 'hardworking genius' Lee Jung-hoo recently made changes to his batting stance. Since he declared his challenge to Major League Baseball (MLB), it seems to be an adaptation to cope with the faster pitches of MLB pitchers.

Originally, Lee Jung-hoo, a left-handed batter, would pull his front foot (right foot for a left-handed batter) once toward the home plate, then step forward again (toward the mound) and swing big. Among Kiwoom fans, this is known as a kind of 'Lee Jung-hoo trademark.' However, he has simplified this process. He also tested the changed batting stance during the official national team training held in Arizona, USA, last February. Lee Jung-hoo said, "I will further improve my condition at Gocheok, where the official national team training takes place."

Yakult Swallows Murakami Munetaka. Photo by Yonhap News

'Power Hitter' Murakami... Asia's Top Prospect

Murakami from Japan, who will face Lee Jung-hoo in the batter showdown, is a right-handed thrower and left-handed batter (bats left, throws right). At the 2017 draft, he was one of the slugger prospects along with Kiyomiya Kotaro and Yasuda Hisanori. He won the Central League (Japanese professional baseball league) Rookie of the Year award in his first full season. From 2019 to 2021, he played in every game, and last season he appeared in all but two games. Especially, he contributed to winning the gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and is regarded as a 'genius batter' among Japanese baseball fans.

Murakami is the youngest player in Japanese professional baseball history to reach 150 career home runs and the first pure Japanese player in 20 years since Matsui Hideki to hit 50 home runs in a season. He also set the record for the most home runs by a Japanese player in a single season with 56 home runs.

As a slugger, his batting is characterized by outstanding distance. Particularly last season, he recorded good results against fastballs over 150 km/h. This is a point that inevitably invites comparison with Lee Jung-hoo, who is changing his batting stance to handle fastballs. The American baseball statistics website FanGraphs.com ranked Lee Jung-hoo 5th overall among Asian prospects and 2nd among batters in December last year, with Murakami ranked 1st overall after breaking the single-season home run record with 56 home runs.

Meanwhile, fans remember Lee Jung-hoo’s father, Lee Jong-beom (currently LG Twins strategy and base running coach), hitting a timely hit against Japan’s renowned closer Fujikawa Kyuji in the 2006 WBC, and they expect Lee Jung-hoo to also hit a powerful home run. At that time, Lee Jong-beom excited the entire nation with a celebration raising both arms and roaring right after the timely hit. The fateful Korea-Japan rivalry game will be held on the 10th at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. According to Kyodo News, Prime Minister Kishida plans to throw the first pitch and watch the game afterward.