The San Francisco Giants are aiming to return to the postseason after four years. It is unanimously noted that key to their nearly meteoric start is Lee Jung-hoo.
On the 27th (Korean time), San Francisco achieved a come-from-behind victory against the Texas Rangers at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, with a walk-off hit by Patrick Bailey in the ninth inning, winning 3-2. This brought San Francisco's record to 18 wins and 10 losses, keeping them in second place in the National League West.
San Francisco's current record would be enough to rank first in other divisions. However, they are competing fiercely against the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite this, San Francisco has been holding up well, performing strongly at the start of the season. The possibility of replicating the 2021 season, when they unexpectedly finished first in the division with a record of 107 wins and 55 losses, is increasing. If they qualify for the postseason this year, it will be their first postseason appearance in four years.
Everyone regarded San Francisco's chances of making the postseason as slim. However, currently, their chances have exceeded 50%. At the beginning of the season, their postseason probability was only 29%. But after just over a month into the season, they raised their postseason probability to 54.8%. While they might not lead the division, they are calculating that they can compete adequately in the wild card race.
Locally, analysts believe that the key to San Francisco's success can be attributed to Lee Jung-hoo. Sports Illustrated (SI) noted that "San Francisco has painfully moved past the previous three seasons of mediocrity, overhauling their front office, with franchise star catcher Buster Posey newly appointed as the president of baseball operations, leading them to a third World Series championship during his playing days. They aim to relive that glory again.” It added, “There has been an abundance of confidence in the clubhouse since spring training. Veteran free agent Justin Verlander positively assessed that he could produce better results than expected."
It also emphasized that "this prophecy turned into reality during the first four weeks, and at the center of this turnaround is Lee Jung-hoo." Lee, who signed a massive contract worth $113 million for six years last year, is leading the team’s offense this year, putting behind the disappointment of only appearing in 37 games due to a shoulder injury and surgery.
The media explained that "Lee Jung-hoo faced disappointment last year after ending his season due to a shoulder injury. He is showcasing the skills worthy of the 2022 KBO MVP amid the pressures of needing to adapt to Major League Baseball while also living up to expectations as a high-paying contract player."
Currently, Lee Jung-hoo is recording a .327 batting average (34 hits in 104 at-bats), 3 home runs, 16 RBIs, and 22 runs scored in 27 games, leading the team in hits, batting average, and OPS (on-base plus slugging). He is tied for first in the Major League in doubles and ranks ninth overall in batting average. He leads the team in all productivity metrics, including OPS+ (adjusted OPS) of 177 and wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) of 167.
As Lee Jung-hoo demonstrates this level of performance in his second year, he is now receiving superstar treatment. FOX Sports published an article titled "Have the Giants finally found a star in Lee Jung-hoo" on the 26th, stating, "San Francisco made numerous attempts to acquire a superstar hitter to be the focal point of their team, yet they failed to bring in Bryce Harper in 2019 and Aaron Judge in 2022. They seemed to be on the verge of signing Carlos Correa but pulled out due to medical tests, and they came away empty-handed in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes." The article further claimed, "However, looking back at the first month of 2025, it seems the winds of change may have begun to blow. At the center of this change may be Lee Jung-hoo, 'the grandson of the wind.'" The media elaborated, "Instead of obtaining the power hitter the Giants craved, they took a chance on a player with a different hitting style. Only three days after Ohtani announced his selection of the Dodgers, they turned their attention to Lee Jung-hoo, known for his precise contact."
Regarding Lee Jung-hoo's contract, the media pointed out that "Before last year’s shoulder injury, Manager Bob Melvin assessed his low performance to be unlucky. Criticism arose questioning whether it was an excessive investment, having recorded only 6 extra-base hits in 37 games." It further stressed, "However, these doubts have vanished this year. Lee Jung-hoo has become the face leading San Francisco's revival."
Comments from teammates were also included. Starting second baseman Tyler Fitzgerald praised, "In my opinion, Lee Jung-hoo is one of the top 5 players in the league. It's really crazy. It's almost inhuman."
On his performance this year, Lee Jung-hoo emphasized, "The key is the BARREL. The hits I have made this year are getting through well to left-center and right-center. It’s a sign that I am making solid contact." He added, "I’m hitting like I did when I played in Korea. I have brought back that mechanism, and I am seeing the effects." The media reported, "A batter who struggled compared to the league average is now recording performance 70% higher than average. He's batting over .300 against all pitch types, including fastballs, breaking balls, and off-speed pitches," and stated, "Even if his slugging percentage declines over time, his excellent contact skills, quick pitch recognition, ability to deal with various pitch types, strong performance against both left- and right-handed pitchers, and above-average defensive and base-running abilities provide very high stability."
It was assessed that "San Francisco may have finally found the real star it has waited so long for."
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