A month later, the evaluation has changed. Lee Jung-hoo's name has been excluded from the All-MLB team predictions.
MLB.com predicted the 2025 All-MLB team based on performance up to May, ahead of June, on the 28th (Korean time). Lee Jung-hoo's name was not included.
Lee Jung-hoo was selected for the second team in the institutional sector of the All-MLB team in April. At that time, Lee Jung-hoo, who continued his hot batting streak after the opening, was recognized by Major League Baseball officials and stood shoulder to shoulder with the top players in the league. The first team in the institutional sector included Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Corbin Carroll (Arizona Diamondbacks), and Kyle Tucker (Chicago Cubs), while Lee Jung-hoo was selected for the second team along with Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres) and Juan Soto (New York Mets).
However, as of May, Lee Jung-hoo's name did not appear in the All-MLB team predictions based on performance. Aaron Judge and Corbin Carroll were still selected for the first team. Fernando Tatis Jr., who was on the second team, moved up to the first team. Instead, Kyle Tucker came down from the first team to the second team. Juan Soto was selected the same way. Instead of Lee Jung-hoo, Pete Crow-Armstrong (Chicago Cubs) was picked. In April, Lee Jung-hoo posted a batting average of .324 over 28 games (108 at-bats, 35 hits), with 3 home runs, 16 RBIs, 22 runs scored, and 3 stolen bases with an OPS of .929, making him one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball. According to the Baseball Reference, he was ranked 4th among position players in WAR (1.7). According to FanGraphs, he also ranked 7th among position players (1.6), placing him among the top tier.
However, as of May, Lee Jung-hoo has only recorded a batting average of .242 over 23 games (91 at-bats, 22 hits), with 2 home runs, 13 RBIs, 9 runs scored, and an OPS of .645. The slump in May can be seen as the decisive reason for his exclusion from the All-MLB team predictions. Additionally, Lee Jung-hoo was not on the list of major players who received votes outside of the first and second teams. James Wood (Washington Nationals), Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta Braves), Riley Greene (Detroit Tigers), and Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians) were selected.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, selected instead of Lee Jung-hoo, is a rising star for the Cubs. In the same center field position, he has recorded a batting average of .280 over 54 games (214 at-bats, 60 hits), with 14 home runs, 48 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, and an OPS of .875. Based on FanGraphs, his Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is 3.1, placing him second overall in Major League Baseball behind Aaron Judge (4.7).
MLB.com, while describing the All-MLB team for the institutional sector, noted, "How do we express Judge? He continues to show amazing performance at the plate. He leaves us speechless. Carroll has rebounded after a tough 2024 season and is now showing a pace that has him mentioned as an MVP candidate. Tatis Jr. is continuously improving to regain the form he showed early in his debut. He continues to demonstrate excellent defense in right field."
When referencing the second team, they explained, "The Tucker and Crow-Armstrong duo of the Cubs has been key to the team's early season success. Tucker is showing consistent performance as he originally has, and Crow-Armstrong's surprising performance has been one of the biggest stories so far in 2025. Soto's start hasn't been as good as expected, but nevertheless, he remains one of the best hitters in the league."
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