Lee Jung-hoo slaps sixth double, fuels Giants’ rally

Lee Jung-hoo continues to impress in his MLB rookie season, going 2-for-4 with a run scored as the starting center fielder and No. 3 hitter for the San Francisco Giants in a home game against the Seattle Mariners on April 7 at Oracle Park.

Known in the KBO for his precision hitting and line drives rather than raw power, Lee is bringing that same approach to the majors with remarkable success. He’s already tallied six doubles this season and boasts a stellar OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .931—currently the highest among players yet to hit a home run. His OPS even exceeds that of Shohei Ohtani (3 HR, .912 OPS) and Tommy Edman (5 HR, .852 OPS), both of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Lee’s second at-bat of the game, he stayed back on a 96-mph fastball from Seattle’s Bryan Woo and drove it to left field for a sharp single. With that hit, he extended his hitting streak to seven games and has now reached base in every game since Opening Day. His batting average has climbed to .344.

Lee’s quality of contact has also shown noticeable improvement compared to last season. His average exit velocity has increased from 89.1 mph to 90.8 mph, and his barrel rate—an indicator of well-struck balls—has nearly doubled from 4.5% to 8.7%.

Backed by Lee’s consistency at the plate, the Giants are riding a winning streak. They secured a 5–4 walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth, with Wilmer Flores delivering the game-winning hit after the score was tied at four.


조영우 기자 jero@donga.com