The San Francisco Giants are leading the National League West Division with unexpected success early in the season.

San Francisco has recorded 19 wins and 10 losses, surpassing the LA Dodgers (18 wins, 10 losses) and the San Diego Padres (17 wins, 11 losses) to take first place. All three teams have a winning percentage above .600, making it the most competitive division among the six in Major League Baseball.

The Giants' successful run cannot overlook the performance of Lee Jung-hoo. Lee has appeared in 28 games, boasting a batting average of .324 (35 hits in 108 at-bats) with 3 home runs, 16 RBIs, and 22 runs scored, achieving an OPS of .929. With 11 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs, his slugging percentage is also high at .546. He is making up for the disappointment of limited play due to a shoulder injury last year, when he only played in 37 games.

'MLB.com' analyzed the competition in the National League West Division on the 28th (Korean time) and ranked Lee Jung-hoo first. Maria Guardado, a reporter covering San Francisco, praised him, saying, "The player who has created the biggest difference for San Francisco so far is center fielder Lee Jung-hoo. He was limited to 37 games last year due to a left shoulder injury, but he has fully recovered and has become a star."

While San Francisco is doing well, the poor performance of their highest-paid player in franchise history, Willy Adames, is disappointing. The U.S. media outlet Newsweek noted on the 29th that the Giants' $182 million free-agent acquisition is "the biggest failure of the first month."

San Francisco signed free-agent shortstop Adames in December last year for a total of $182 million (approximately 261.4 billion won) over seven years. By acquiring Adames, who received a qualifying offer from the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco also had to forfeit its 2nd and 5th round picks in the 2026 rookie draft and a $1 million international amateur contract bonus.

Adames played in 161 games in 2024, recording a batting average of .251 with 32 home runs, 112 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases, finishing 10th in the National League MVP voting. However, this season, he has a batting average of .220 with 1 home run, 13 RBIs, and 1 stolen base in 29 games.

The outlet reported, "Bleacher Report recently listed Adames as one of the biggest disappointments in the first month of the season. Considering the Giants invested nearly $200 million in the shortstop, this is quite concerning. At his current pace, he would finish the season with 6 home runs and 81 RBIs."

Newsweek stated, "If viewed objectively, a slow start is not something new for Adames, who is 29. He struggled to hit properly during the first few weeks in 2021 and 2022, but he has recorded over 24 home runs and 120 hits each of the past four seasons. However, he is striking out at an alarming rate on breaking balls, and his BARREL rate is not even half of what it was during his time in Milwaukee."

Newsweek projected, "Adames has shown solid performance over the past few years, but this season's start is definitely concerning. If he cannot perform to his potential, the Giants will feel regret throughout his contract period. If Adames returns to his former self, the Giants could steal the division title from the Dodgers."

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