It’s about time that Lee “The People’s Hitter” Seung-yeop is finally gone from the top of the leaderboards. It’s been eight years, six years, and he’s still at the top of the leaderboard. That’s why they call him a legend, a GOAT.먹튀검증
As of the 4th, Doosan’s Lee Seung-yeop is still at the top of the KBO career leaderboards in home runs, runs scored, and RBIs. He has 467 home runs, 1355 runs scored, and 4077 RBIs. Before the start of this season, he also led the league in doubles (464) and RBIs (1498), but was surpassed by KIA batting coach Choi Hyung-woo. This season, the resurgent Choi has surpassed Lee with 484 doubles and 1535 RBIs.
Lee Seung-yup’s title belt is off again. Choi went 2-for-3 with two doubles (one home run), two RBIs and one run scored against the KIA in Incheon on Wednesday. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning, Choi fouled off four consecutive pitches and curves from Kia sidearm Park Joon-pyo before pulling a 142-kilometer fastball over the left-field fence.
It was his 80th run of the season and 1354th of his career. He needs one more run to tie for first place on the all-time list with Lee Seung-yeop with 1355 runs. There is a good chance that he will pass Lee in the three-game series against Hanwha on May 5-7.
If that happens, Lee will only need to add home runs and RBIs to his total on the KBO website to stay on top of the leaderboard. Considering that RBIs don’t have much symbolism, it’s the home runs that remain. Lee’s last pride, his symbol and alter ego, the career home run lead, will eventually slip to second place in the 2024 season to Choi Jung.
Choi’s three-run blast gave him his 25th homer of the season and 454th of his career. She is now 13 behind Lee’s 467 home runs. There’s still a month left in the season. Choi is just as capable of driving in runs as Lee was during his career. Given his late-season pace, it’s unlikely he’ll be surpassed this season, and he could end up taking over the top spot at the start of the 2024 season. I already predicted an upset around 2024 in my 2022 year-end awards.
In a way, this is why Lee is so great. In fact, if you add up his career stats in Nippon Professional Baseball, he still holds the all-time record for home runs, RBIs, doubles, and runs scored. Lee played in Japan for eight years, from 2004 to 2011.
Lee Seung-yeop of Doosan/My Daily
Even with an eight-year handicap and six years after his retirement in 2017, Lee is still the all-time leader in home runs and runs scored, and second in doubles and RBIs. Only Son Asub (NC, 416) is second in career doubles, and Choi is second in career RBIs (1442). This means that Lee is not going to move down to third on the all-time list anytime soon. In the case of RBIs, Choi will move into second place behind Choi Hyung-woo next year, pushing Lee down to third.
If Choi is soon to become the all-time leader in runs scored, Lee’s greatness will be highlighted once again. He’s the GOAT and a legend in the making. The interesting thing is that Lee can’t afford to care. Lee’s Doosan has recently dropped to sixth place due to KIA’s recent surge. Coincidentally, while Choi Jeong-jeong threatens Lee, Lee’s team is in the midst of a three-game midweek home stand against KIA.