Lee Jung-hoo closes spring with home run

Lee Jung-hoo, nicknamed the “Grandson of the Wind,” heads into the regular season in strong form after delivering a home run in his final spring training appearance.

Batting leadoff and starting in right field, Lee went 2-for-3 with a home run, one RBI and two runs scored in a Major League Baseball spring training game against Cleveland on March 22 at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona.

Lee made his presence felt early. With two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the third inning, he lined a single to right field. He followed up in the fourth, sending a solo shot to right-center with two outs and his team holding a 6-0 lead. The home run came off a 150 kph fastball from right-hander Tanner Bibee that drifted over the middle of the plate. It was Lee’s first home run across both the regular season and spring training in 194 days, dating back to Sept. 9 last year against Arizona.

Entering his third MLB season, Lee wrapped up spring training with a .455 batting average, going 10-for-22 with one home run, four RBIs and a 1.227 OPS. He did not strike out in eight appearances, marking his most productive spring since arriving in the United States in 2024. San Francisco prevailed 10-7 in a high-scoring contest.

The San Francisco Giants will play three exhibition games against minor league opponents beginning March 23 before opening the regular season at home against the New York Yankees. The game is scheduled for 9:05 a.m. on March 26 at Oracle Park, corresponding to 5:05 p.m. local time on March 25, and will serve as the official Opening Night of the 2026 MLB season.

Kim Hye-seong, entering his second big league season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, started at shortstop and batted sixth in a spring training game against the Athletics on March 22. He went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one strikeout, bringing his spring batting average to .407 (11-for-27).


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