The San Francisco Giants made a huge splash during the offseason leading into the 2024 campaign when they signed outfielder Jung Hoo Lee from Korea.
He was a fantastic player in the KBO, winning their MVP Award in 2022 and taking home the Gold Glove Award in five straight campaigns from 2018-2022.
His well-rounded skill set is one that the Giants thought would look good in their lineup. Given the spaciousness of their outfield, his prowess with the glove would pay major dividends.
At the plate, his contact approach and athleticism made him the quintessential table setter atop the lineup. He had the ability to consistently get on base and make some noise on the base paths with his speed and athleticism.
Unfortunately, none of that was able to translate in his first year with the team.
After only 37 games, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery. It was a huge blow to San Francisco, as his acclimation period would be delayed.
That led to a lot of questions this offseason about whether or not Lee was going to be able to provide the kind of impact the team was hoping he would.
It seemed premature to write such a talented player off after only 37 games and he has quickly proven those doubters wrong. Despite still lacking a ton of experience against MLB pitching, he has hit the ground running in 2025 in every facet of the game.
At the plate he is showing signs of figuring it out after an up-and-down spring training. Through seven games and 31 plate appearances, he has a .321/.387/.500 slash line with an MLB-leading five doubles.
He has scored nine runs, has three RBI and stolen three bases, making the kind of all-around impact the team knew he was capable of. His 153 OPS+ is very impressive as well.
“It seems like all of them have been really impactful,” manager Bob Melvin said about the team’s stolen bases, via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. “When we steal a base, we end up scoring a run.”
But, where he has been the most impactful has been with his glove, where he is showing no ill-effects of the injury he suffered last year.
His injury was sustained when he crashed into the outfield wall attempting to make a play. The all-out hustle and effort he shows is part of what makes him so special as a player, but the injury shows there are some risks to that style of play.
The injury has not changed how he approaches things, as he is still playing with the same level of aggressiveness and the team’s pitching staff is certainly thankful for it since Lee is making some incredible plays in the field.
“There’s no fear going back there,” he said through interpreter Justin Han. “The warning track is wide and we have padding. I’ll go [all-out] there at the moment.”
Balls have been hit to the warning track but there hasn’t been any hesitation on his part to go and get the ball.
The style of play that made him so popular in Korea is what will endear him to Giants fans here. There is already a section of fans in the outfield dedicated to him, as his popularity is soaring.
