'Son of the Wind' Lee Jung-hoo (27) has emerged as the top star of the San Francisco Giants. Amid chants of 'Jung-hoo-ri' at Oracle Park, he received overwhelming support from fans in the voting.
NBC Sports Bay Area reported on Lee Jung-hoo's rising popularity after the home game against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 23rd (Korean time), following the post-game review show.
NBC Sports Bay Area conducted a poll on social media for the most anticipated players among San Francisco hitters this season, listing Lee Jung-hoo, Wilmer Flores, and Mike Yastrzemski as candidates.
As a result, Lee Jung-hoo showed an overwhelming approval rating of 77%. Flores followed with 17% and Yastrzemski with 6%, meaning the combined support of the two players was less than a third of Lee Jung-hoo's.
Host Laura Britt said, 'Lee Jung-hoo has completely taken over the Bay Area (the name for the San Francisco surrounding area). You might have heard cheers at Oracle Park, and you can see Lee Jung-hoo's jersey all around the ballpark.'
San Francisco has created a dedicated cheering area for Lee Jung-hoo in the central outfield for every home game on weekends, and the fan club 'HOO LEE GANS' is gaining attention with enthusiastic support. The popularity of Lee Jung-hoo is rising so much that chants of 'Jung-hoo-ri' resonate every time he steps up to the plate throughout Oracle Park, not just in the cheering area.
Britt mentioned, 'For Lee Jung-hoo, who came from afar, it will feel like home. This will be a great motivation for the player, and his parents will be immensely proud,' adding that 'his father was a legendary figure abroad. He must feel even better seeing his son so warmly welcomed.'
On this day, Lee Jung-hoo was silent with no hits and one walk in four at-bats against Milwaukee, but he is recording a .315 batting average (28 hits in 89 at-bats), 3 home runs, 15 RBIs, 20 runs, 9 walks, 14 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases with an on-base percentage of .374, slugging percentage of .573, and OPS of .947 this season. His 10 doubles tie for the league lead with Pete Alonso (New York Mets).
Before the game, analyst Shaun Estes, a former pitcher with 101 career wins, commented, 'We still don’t know what Lee Jung-hoo will show us in the future. We didn't have enough time to observe him last year,' but added, 'Based on the opinions of people I trust and respect and what I've seen myself, Lee Jung-hoo is the real deal,' suggesting that his current performance is not just a temporary phenomenon.
He continued, 'It is natural to expect what kind of impact Lee Jung-hoo will have in San Francisco every day. He definitely has the ability to make solid contact with the ball, and he is excellent in defense and base running. He is an exciting player to watch,' and praised, 'He is stronger against left-handed pitchers. The left-handed pitchers he has faced are ones he has never seen before. It is amazing how well he hits against left-handed pitchers who throw good and dirty pitches.'
Estes added, 'Lee Jung-hoo approaches the plate simply. He adjusts while looking for fastballs he has prepared. His swing mechanism is not complicated. There is no need to fix the mechanism. He just needs to be prepared and showcase his abilities in the game,' while highly assessing Lee Jung-hoo's technical batting skills.
Meanwhile, Lee Jung-hoo aims to produce hits again against Milwaukee on the 24th. The Milwaukee starter is right-handed Freddy Peralta, a veteran who has accumulated 55 career wins over eight seasons. Peralta, who has won 12 and 11 games in the last two years, is also performing well this season with 2 wins and 1 loss, a 1.91 earned run average in 5 games (28⅓ innings), and 33 strikeouts, making him a formidable opponent. San Francisco will also feature ace Logan Webb, who has 2 wins and 1 loss, a 2.40 earned run average in 5 games (30 innings), and 38 strikeouts this season.
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