The San Francisco Giants’ Jung-Hoo Lee, 26, has the ability to surprise the home of baseball.
In 884 career games, Lee batted .344 (3476-for-1181) with 65 home runs, 515 RBIs and an .898 OPS. In 2022, he had one of his best seasons, batting .349 (9-for-553) with 23 home runs, 113 RBIs and a .996 OPS in 142 games, winning five batting titles (batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, RBIs and runs scored) and the league MVP.
He suffered an ankle injury last year that ended his season prematurely, but he still managed to hit .861 with six homers, 45 RBIs and an OPS of .861 in 86 games (330-for-105), so he was posted on schedule and hit the six-year, $113 million “jackpot” with San Francisco last December.
The larger-than-expected contract shined a spotlight on Lee’s talent and his family connections. His father, former LG coach Lee Jong-beom, who was called the “son of the wind,” was also mentioned, as well as his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, 라인카지노 after Ko Woo-seok signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the San Diego Padres.
Most importantly, the signing was followed by favorable expectations for Lee’s first year.
There were also opinions that Lee would help heal San Francisco’s woes in the superstar signing bidding war. ‘The Athletic’ wrote, “The Giants finally landed an important free agent, Lee Jung-hoo. His presence will be a huge upgrade to the defense in center field and adds a great contact hitter to the lineup. Lee’s skills will improve the San Francisco offense and outfield defense.
He also made a Rookie of the Year prediction. On January 1, MLB.com highlighted one hopeful prediction for each team, and the Giants are expected to win the Rookie of the Year. “The Giants haven’t won a Rookie of the Year since Buster Posey in 2010, but they have a good chance this year,” the publication said, noting that the team had 12 players make their first big league start last year and most of them will still be rookies in 2024.
“If the prospects develop well, center fielder Lee Jung-hoo, left-hander Kyle Harrison and shortstop Marco Luciano could contend for Rookie of the Year honors. Lee is front and center in the main photo of this article.
It was an indication of the level of expectation for Lee and his status in San Francisco.
The fact that he continues to be a favorite for the Rookie of the Year award shows a certain amount of confidence in his performance in the KBO, and his impressive performances in international competitions such as the Premier 12, the Olympics, and the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
FanGraphs projected Lee to hit .291 with 11 home runs, 54 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 7 doubles, and an OPS of .785 in 134 games (519 at-bats, 151 hits). That would rank ninth in the majors and fourth in the National League in batting average.
MLB.com said, “Lee was projected to finish in the top 10 in the majors and top five in the National League in batting average,” adding, “The projection program sees Lee as a hitter well above major league average. Most impressively, he has the second-lowest strikeout rate in the majors at 9.1 percent, behind only Luis Arajes (Miami, 7.1 percent).” “Fangraphs’ projections for Yoshida have been largely accurate, which is a positive for San Francisco.
MLB.com also wrote, “Lee could be the difference maker for the Giants this year. They’ll have a clear identity and strengths they’ve been searching for,” and “He hits well, runs well, and can hit the ball to all parts of the field. He’s a sparkplug for the fan base, and he’s a reason to go to San Francisco games.
NBC Sports Bay Area said, “Jung-hoo will excite the fans,” adding that he will address the shortcomings of last year’s San Francisco offense.
MLB.com on Aug. 31 identified six players who could make the leap to superstardom in 2024. One from each division. In the National League West, where Lee’s San Francisco team is located, the team chose Nolan Jones of the Colorado Rockies. Jones, who debuted with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022 and appeared in 28 games before being traded to Colorado at the end of the season, batted .297 (109-for-367) with 20 home runs, 63 RBIs, 20 doubles and a .931 OPS in 106 games as a rookie last year.
The media may not realize it, but the 25-year-old had a tremendous rookie season, and he’s a hitter with no weaknesses against left-handed pitching. He went 3-for-4 with a .902 OPS against lefties last year. Entering 2024, he has the makings of a dangerous hitter. 바카라사이트 He is one of the most powerful outfielders in the game with excellent power and speed.
He also mentioned Lee as one of the first names on his dark horse list. Jones’ expectations for Lee, who has yet to play a game in the major leagues, are high considering he was already adjusting to his rookie season last year.
With the favorable expectations, Lee will now begin his quest to conquer the major leagues. Lee will depart for the United States on the first of next month. The full San Francisco roster is scheduled to convene on February 21. However, Lee will travel early to San Francisco’s spring training site in Scottsdale, Arizona, to get acclimatized.