Lee Jung Hoo on December 14th, 2023 signed the most lucrative contract for any position player from the KBO for 113 million dollars for six years. As the 2022 MVP of the KBO, he hit .349/.421/.575 with 23 homers and 113 RBIs. He was a star then, but still a star now. He has to do it a little differently. He only played 37 games for the San Francisco Giants, hitting .262/.310/.331. That was to be expected, considering he was still in the transition stage. In other words, his rookie campaign was all but lost.
2025 would be considered his true rookie season, given that 37 games barely constitute half of the regular season. Going after a fly ball, Lee hit his left shoulder on the wall, which ultimately ended his 2024 season because of the surgery needed to repair the torn labrum in his shoulder.
"To be able to get him back is almost like another free agent signing or just bringing in a huge player," Bob Melvin, the Giants manager, said, "because he wasn't with us that long, but he can be an All-Star." He then added, "It's a huge win for us. You saw what he meant for us early in the season... He can hit anywhere in the lineup. You saw him play even better in center field than we envisioned."
Before the start of the regular season, I had predicted that his numbers would not be as good as they had been in the KBO, but it appeared that he was adjusting to MLB pitching. Before his injury, Lee achieved a .368 batting average with 7 hits and 2 runs scored in his final 5 games with the Giants. However, he suffered an injury before he could further his adjustment. He will try again in 2025 and continue where he left off.
Big fan. Needs to stay healthy.
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