SF Giants, fans eagerly anticipate regular-season debut of center fielder Jung Hoo Lee
SAN FRANCISCO — Before there was Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler, there was Jung Hoo Lee.
The bandwagon momentum generated by the Giants’ signings in spring training was incalculable both in terms of clubhouse excitement and among the fan base, which suddenly sees their team as a playoff contender.
Unlike Snell, Chapman and Soler, who fans have seen as established major leaguers on other teams, there is an air of mystery regarding Lee, given that his entire career has been in the KBO League in South Korea.
Fans at Oracle Park got their first look Tuesday night at what Giants manager Bob Melvin hopes is a regular occurrence — with Lee batting first and playing center field against the Athletics in the second game of the Bay Bridge Series.
It was a quiet Oracle debut. Lee went 0-for-3 with a strikeout to see his spring average drop to .343 and had no challenging plays in the field. Not that a 3-1 Bay Bridge Series “let’s get it over with” loss will have any bearing on expectations from the fanbase or teammates.
Lee, 25, makes his major league debut on Opening Day Thursday in San Diego, where he’ll face Padres ace Yu Darvish.
“The first guy of the game is going to be Lee and the guy on the mound is going to be Darvish, so I think everybody’s going to be looking forward to that,” Melvin said.
If Lee’s ability transfers seamlessly from the KBO to the MLB, the Giants will have themselves a pesky table setter who can run the bases and is an above-average flyball chaser in a ballpark that demands it.
Lee’s teammates have gotten a close look at him during spring training, and like what they see for reasons that go beyond a .375 batting average and 1.176 OPS with a homer and six RBIs in 12 games, coming into Tuesday night’s game.
“I mean he’s a terrific bat-to-ball player,” catcher Tom Murphy said. “His skill level is unique in that way. You don’t see too many guys that strike out so few times as Lee does. Other than that, he looks like a supreme athlete, a go-getter, a cool, calm, collected player who is going to have a huge year for us.”
Lee’s credentials in South Korea included being named Rookie of the Year in 2017 and Most Valuable Player in 2022 with a slash line of .349/.421/.575 with 23 home runs and 113 RBIs in 142 games. Lee played in 85 games before an ankle injury ended his season and required surgery.
He checked out well enough medically for the Giants to sign him to a six-year, $113 million contract.
From what outfielder Michael Conforto has seen, it was a sound investment.
“He’s a very polished player, has a knack for putting the barrel on the ball,” Conforto said. “He’s got lightning-quick hands. He’s fast, a good athlete and knows the game. I could go on and on about what we’ve seen in the spring. I think we’re all going to be real impressed by him.”
Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski believes “having a steady anchor in center field is huge” and said Lee has been a joy to have in the clubhouse.
“One of the best things is he’s really, really, down to earth and a great teammate. So it’s going to be great to have him in this locker room.”
Shortstop Nick Ahmed, a slick defender with two Gold Gloves, said he could tell right away Lee was skilled in that area.
“He’s got great baseball instincts,” Ahmed said. “I can always tell as a shortstop, when I turn around, the difference between an outfielder who freezes and takes a second to read the ball or if I can see his back turned and see his numbers and he’s two steps into his break. He’s going to be a great center fielder or us with the big gaps in this park.”
Offensively, Lee, who struck out just 304 times in seven seasons in the KBO with 383 walks, could quickly drive up some pitch counts.
“He’s a pest at the top of the lineup and he’s somebody opposing pitchers are going to hate, seeing him foul off pitches and staying alive,” Ahmed said.
From what Melvin has seen, stereotyping Lee as a slap hitter would be a mistake.
“He doesn’t strike out, and it’s not like he’s just poking the ball,” Melvin said. “I expected maybe a little bit more of that, especially with two strikes, but he takes a pretty healthy hack. He just moves it over a little bit with two strikes and is thinking the other way, but still takes a good hack and stays away from strikeouts. He’s very unique.”
As far as blending in with his teammates, Melvin has been impressed in that regard as well.
“He just loves playing baseball,” Melvin said. “He was comfortable since Day 1 in spring training in a new country, new people, new environment. I’ve had to deal with quite a few guys that have done that. I don’t know anyone that has fit in as quickly as he has.”
YAZ ON HOLD: Yastrzemski was in the lineup after a false alarm the previous evening as his wife is expecting a baby. Whether Yastrzemski will be around for Opening Day or on paternity leave is an open question.
“Anything’s on the table as far as that goes,” Melvin said.
REPLACING THE BRANDONS: Ahmed, the likely starting shortstop, has one of the clubhouse lockers closest to the door. It was the locker previously occupied by Brandon Belt, with the departed Brandon Crawford’s locker right next door.
Ahmed, who played in Arizona from 2014 through 2023, has no illusions about taking Crawford’s place in an organizational sense.
“I got to play against Brandon for a long time in this division,” Ahmed said. “I respect him a ton for what he did for this organization. I’m not coming in trying to replace him or take his job or anything like that, just going to be me and help us win as many games as possible.”