'Child of the Wind' Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants) has reached his first major hurdle of the season. He has consistently been hitting one single, but as he goes into his 16th game, he has seen a decrease in doubles and walks, which is gradually affecting his records. With the opposing pitchers changing their strategies, Lee Jung-hoo needs to adjust as well.

On the 13th (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo started as the No. 4 hitter and center fielder in a home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, recording one hit in four at-bats.

This marks his 17th game of the season with one hit in four at-bats. He has recorded one hit in four at-bats in 10 of the last 16 games. Hitting even one single in Major League Baseball is challenging, but if he keeps repeating one hit in four at-bats, it makes it difficult for the batter to maintain 'record defense.' To manage his batting average, he needs to mix in walks, and to sustain his OPS, he also needs extra-base hits like home runs or doubles.

However, all of Lee Jung-hoo's hits in the last 10 games of one hit in four at-bats have been singles. Since the game against the Texas Rangers on the 26th of last month, he has struggled with a batting average of .270 (12 hits in 58 at-bats) with one home run, eight RBIs, an on-base percentage of .217, a slugging percentage of .259, and an OPS of .475 over the last 15 games. He hit a home run against the Chicago Cubs on the 7th, but in the last 15 games, there have been no doubles or walks, which were his trademarks in the early season. Lee Jung-hoo's last double was against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 25th of last month.

Up until that time, Lee Jung-hoo had a batting average of .333 (32 hits in 96 at-bats) and an OPS of .981 in 26 games, but after more than two weeks of stagnation, his season stats have dropped to a batting average of .285 (45 hits in 158 at-bats) and an OPS of .787. Both his .300 batting average and .800 OPS have clearly fallen.

In a 162-game long race, it's not possible to hit well throughout the entire season. Batters naturally experience ups and downs, and right now, Lee Jung-hoo's hitting cycle is at a low point. Additionally, as the opposing teams have analyzed more, the pitching strategies of the pitchers have likely changed.

After the game against Arizona on the 13th, Sergio Romo, a former pitcher with 137 saves who now works as an analyst on the San Francisco dedicated broadcast 'NBC Sports Bay Area' postgame show, said, 'Lee Jung-hoo has shown consistent hitting throughout the season, but he is currently going through a tough period. Opposing pitchers are throwing differently, and it's time for Lee Jung-hoo to adjust accordingly.'

Lee Jung-hoo, who showed a scorching hitting sensation in the early part of the season, has garnered focused attention from opposing teams, leading to changes in their strategies. After finishing the season with only 37 games due to a shoulder injury last year, he was relatively less analyzed, and the surveillance was not intense during the early season.

However, Lee Jung-hoo's sensational performance over the first month of the season made him the target of detailed analysis. He has shown excellent responsiveness to inside pitches, regardless of fastballs or breaking balls, which has led to a significant increase in outside pitching lately. With fewer inside pitches coming his way, it's inevitable that his pulls for doubles have decreased. This year, out of Lee Jung-hoo's 11 doubles, six were hit to the right, two to the right-center, two to the left, and one to the left-center, most of which were pulled.

From the perspective of opposing pitchers, there is a low risk of giving up extra-base hits when throwing outside to Lee Jung-hoo. Even if he makes contact, it tends to be singles, which is why they are favoring outside pitching.

The season is long, and pitchers and batters respond to each other, adapting and making changes. It is necessary to see this time as a period for Lee Jung-hoo to adjust to the altered strategies of the pitchers. Hitting consistently even one single under somewhat analyzed conditions is positive. If Lee Jung-hoo can elevate his batting and find ways to adapt, his results can improve once again.

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