"He’s perfect I love him" "This dude is hella nice" - Giants fans enamored by Jung Hoo Lee's New Year's message

The San Francisco Giants went big in their pursuit of talented Korean free agent Jung Hoo Lee. He agreed to join the Giants for a six-year deal worth $113 million and will have the option to opt out after four years.

Jung Hoo Lee's signing marks the largest deal among Korean players and the second largest free agent signing for the Giants, following Barry Zito's $126 million for a seven-year deal.

If Lee can prove his potential in the Major League, not only will he be an excellent asset for the Giants as a player, but also as a foreign business model. He recently expressed his excitement about this opportunity on Instagram, shared by the San Francisco Giants on X.

FanGraphs' projection system, ZiPS, compared Jung Hoo Lee with other active MLB players, including All-Stars such as Ketel Marte, Lenny Dykstra, Harry “the hat” Walker, and others. This comparison shows that Lee has the potential to become a star player in the MLB in the future.

Bob Melvin’s new SF Giants lineup for the upcoming season will include LaMonte Wade Jr. at first base, Thairo Estrada at second base, J.D. Davis at the third base, and Marco Luciano will fill the shortstop role. Meanwhile, Patrick Bailey will play catcher. Mike Yastrzemski or Mitch Haniger will cover the right field, and Michael Conforto or Austin Slater will take the left field, while Lee will manage center field.

Jung Hoo Lee's career at KBO

Jung Hoo Lee has a great track record in the KBO, where he debuted in 2017 at the age of 18 and spent seven seasons playing for two different teams, the Nexen Heros and the Kiwoom Heros.

Throughout his career, Lee played a total of 884 games, with 515 RBIs and 65 home runs, and has a batting average of .340/.407/.491 with a .898 OPS.

Despite a limited number of games last season due to an ankle injury, Lee caught the attention of Bob Melvin and the Giants scouts with his outstanding performance in 2022. That year, he was named KBO MVP thanks to his slash line of .349/.421/.575 and career-high 23 home runs.

It's also worth mentioning that Jung Hoo Lee was the first player to skip the minors and go straight from high school to KBO.

About the author

Sayan has been a Major League Baseball journalist at Sportskeeda since 2023. A geography graduate, Sayan discovered America's favorite pastime through anime during his high school days. The excitement of every home run and strikeout ignited a passion within him for the diamond, and he started playing the MLB's Android games, further enhancing his interest.

While the New York Yankees were the first MLB team Sayan was introduced to, it's the LA Dodgers that hold a special place in his heart. They were the first team he saw lift the World Series (2020) when he began following the sport. Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw are some of Sayan's favorite MLB players, while Dusty Baker is his favorite manager.

Sayan's main strength is in-depth analysis of stats and reporting from a neutral point of view. To ensure accuracy in his articles, he only refers to MLB insiders and experts for information.

When not watching baseball, Sayan likes to relax by watching anime. He also loves following the NBA, NFL and international Chess events during his free time, and is always eager to discuss sports with like-minded enthusiasts.

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