The media attention on Lee Jung-hoo, known as the 'Son of the Wind' who is active with the San Francisco Giants, is intense. The American sports outlet Sports Illustrated noted on the 9th (Korea time) Lee Jung-hoo's remarkable growth.
The outlet stated, 'San Francisco's rise has been highlighted as one of the major hot topics in Major League Baseball early in the season, particularly due to the growth of second-year outfielder Lee Jung-hoo.'
San Francisco finished last year with a record of 80 wins and 82 losses, placing 4th in the National League West. It changed significantly after franchise star Buster Posey was appointed as the president of baseball operations. As of the 8th, they are ranked 2nd in the National League West with a record of 9 wins and 2 losses, raising the possibility of a postseason appearance for the first time in 4 years since 2021.
The outlet noted, 'Buster Posey has played a major role in the team's growth among the players he newly acquired, but there were also notable improvements among the returning players,' and mentioned, 'In particular, Lee Jung-hoo, who suffered from a left shoulder injury last year and had a difficult debut season, is now performing brilliantly this season.'
'Lee Jung-hoo, from Nagoya, Japan, built an excellent career in the KBO League for 7 years before signing with San Francisco. Due to his left shoulder injury last year, he only appeared in 37 games, finishing his debut season with a disappointing batting average of .262 (38 hits in 145 at-bats), 2 home runs, 8 RBIs, and 15 runs scored.'
Sports Illustrated highlighted, 'Lee Jung-hoo has been given another opportunity this season, and although he suffered minor injuries during spring training, he is meeting the team's expectations. He has already surpassed last year's stolen bases and has established himself as one of the best hitters in the league.' Most notably, the outlet stated, 'There is a strong possibility that Lee Jung-hoo will achieve even better results moving forward. His strikeout rate has dropped to 15.4%, nearly half of last year's rate,' adding, 'He is likely to be a candidate for All-Star selection as well.'
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