San Francisco manager Bob Melvin is a veteran among veterans with more than 1,000 wins in the major leagues. But Lee Jung-hoo (26, San Francisco) is special. Melvin said he has seen many players in the same situation as Lee. However, he insists that he has never seen a player like Lee. That’s about the highest praise Lee can receive right now.
“He just loves to play baseball,” Melvin said, enjoying Lee’s innocence, “and he was comfortable from day one in spring training, even though it was a new country, new people, new environment. I’ve dealt with quite a few players in that situation. But no one has ever adapted as quickly as he did.” He praised Lee’s ability to adapt.
San Francisco had a major weakness on offense last year. The team’s run production was dead last in the National League. Their winning percentage was below .500. The Giants saw Lee as the right guy to solve many of their problems. They pushed aside all other outfielders in favor of Lee, eventually winning a six-year, $113 million bidding war. If you add in the amount of postseason money they had to give to his original team, it was more than $130 million. That’s a lot of money.
He’ll have to adapt to the major leagues quickly. In fact, he doesn’t deserve it. He has no choice but to be open and hit. So far, the process has been pretty smooth. His good performance in the exhibition games proves it. Despite having a mild side pain and a sore hamstring, he performed exceptionally well. In 13 games, Lee batted .343 with a .425 on-base percentage, .486 slugging percentage, and a .911 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). That’s much better than the first-year performance of Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs) and Masataka Yoshida (Boston), two Japanese slugging geniuses who came to the majors before Lee. It’s a testament to Lee’s adaptability.
In addition to his two stolen bases, Lee also showed that he can contribute to the team on the basepaths with his speed. Melvin was so impressed with his bat that he said his feet could be incorporated into the team’s offense. His defense, which has always been above-average in the major leagues, was also flawless. He showed off all the basics. He chased the ball well and played solid, if unspectacular, defense. It was just a matter of adapting to the ballpark structure.
It seems that Lee made a strong impression on Melvin and his teammates. Lee isn’t just the team’s leadoff man and center fielder. He is a valuable player that San Francisco paid a lot of money to acquire. His teammates must have been curious to see what kind of player he was coming from the unknown KBO. However, Lee has already won the hearts of his teammates. In spring training, he actively approached his teammates and closed the distance between them. Most importantly, he turned heads with his baseball skills. To integrate into a team, your teammates need to recognize your skills and personality. Lee is going through the process faster.
Catcher Tom Murphy told local publication The Mercury News, “Lee is a great bat-to-ball player. His skill level is special in that regard. You don’t see a lot of guys who strike out as little as he does. Aside from that, he seems like a top-notch athlete and a cool, calm guy who can make this a huge year for us.” Lee has an excellent ability to put the ball in play at the plate, which ensures few strikeouts. The high number of pitches in play can create a lot of complications. Not a bad thing.
Outfielder Michael Conforto, who will be playing next to Lee, said: “He’s a very disciplined player and has a knack for making barrel hits. He has lightning-fast hands. He’s 카지노 fast, he’s a good athlete, he understands the game well,” and “I could go on and on about what we saw in the spring. I could go on and on about what we saw in the spring, and I think we’re all going to be really impressed with him.”
“One of the best things about him is that he’s a really good person and a great teammate, so it’s good to have him in this locker room,” said outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. “He’s a great guy with a really good personality, so it’s good to have him in this locker room.” Nick Ahmed, a shortstop with excellent defense, had a similar view. “He’s got great baseball instincts. As a shortstop, I can tell the difference between an outfielder who is frozen and reading the ball and an outfielder who is reading the ball. When I look back, I can see his number, and I can see he has already taken two steps. He’s going to be a great center fielder in this stadium,” he said, praising his defense.
Now that he’s ready to go, Lee will make his major league debut against San Diego at Petco Park in Petco Park, California, on April 29, starting at 5 p.m. ET. The Giants themselves are expected to be a highly anticipated team after a heated offseason recruitment campaign. At the center of it all is Lee Jung-hoo. He’s the Giants’ first hitter of the year. His journey has just begun in earnest.