The San Francisco Giants' batting slump is persisting. With the momentum of "the son of the wind" Lee Jung-hoo (27) also waning, San Francisco media has raised the necessity of a trade.
Lee Jung-hoo played in the April 29 game (Korean time) against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, as the fourth batter and center fielder, recording no hits in three at-bats with one walk.
Following no hits in three at-bats against Detroit the previous day (April 28), Lee Jung-hoo has failed to produce a hit in two consecutive games, bringing his season batting average down to .276 (59 hits in 214 at-bats). His OPS also fell to .770, struggling to break free from a slump in May.
Not only Lee Jung-hoo but the entire San Francisco lineup is struggling. On this day, they hit 10 singles, but did not produce a decisive hit. With one hit in nine at-bats in scoring positions, leaving 10 runners on base, the frustrating trend continued.
Since the game against the Athletics on April 19, San Francisco has suffered through 11 consecutive games with four or fewer runs. During this period, there was one game with no runs, four games with one run, and three games with three runs, totaling eight games scoring three runs or fewer.
San Francisco's overall season batting metrics rank the team 25th in batting average (.231), 20th in on-base percentage (.309), 23rd in slugging percentage (.375), and 22nd in OPS (.684), all significantly below average. However, with a team ERA ranked 4th (3.22), they hold a record of 31 wins and 25 losses (.554 winning percentage), sitting 3rd in the National League (NL) West, which may be difficult to maintain given their current hitting performance.
Local media "San Jose Mercury News" noted that "San Francisco may have to seek help from outside the organization as the offensive struggles continue," raising the necessity of a trade.
The media pointed out that "the San Francisco lineup has been too ineffective over the last three weeks. Even scoring three runs feels like an explosion. They have not scored more than five runs in their last 11 games. In the last 21 games, they scored four runs or fewer in 16 of them. It is astonishing that they have maintained their ranking with such a poor offensive output for so long."
It continued, "Looking at the current lineup, it doesn’t seem like things will improve soon. Matt Chapman and Willy Adames could improve, but Wilmer Flores, who had two double plays on April 29, may see his magical performance end. Mike Yastrzemski, who has an OPS of .450 over the past two weeks, and Lee Jung-hoo, with an OPS of .657 during the same period, are both failing to fulfill their roles as leadoff and cleanup hitters respectively."
The media also pointed out the struggles of lower-order hitters such as Lamont Wade Jr. and Tyler Fitzgerald, stating, "The San Francisco lineup has never been particularly strong. This team is focused on pitching and defense. However, maintaining average or below average offensive output for such a long time is a major issue," adding that "President Farhan Zaidi has emphasized patience and trust, but how much more patience can be extended to players producing below average results? It’s time to seriously consider trades to improve the lineup."
With about two months remaining until the trade deadline at the end of July, the media named first baseman and second baseman as key positions for reinforcement, suggesting trade targets such as first baseman Rhys Hoskins (Milwaukee Brewers), shortstop Bo Bichette (Toronto Blue Jays), first baseman Yandy Diaz, and second baseman Brandon Lowe (both Tampa Bay Rays).
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